Hasta la vista, Despair
by NeCaSa
Summary: A single student enters Hope's Peak Academy. He never had big standards, only wanting to enjoy his simple life at it is. But what will happen when he finds out he has a hidden talent? What will happen when the The Biggest, Most Atrocious Despair-Inducing Incident in Human History attempts to destroy his simple life? (Self-insert) (DR 3: Zetsubou Hen AU). CONTAINS SPOILERS.
1. Reserve Course

**Tadaaaaa! I came back! (Don't expect me to be around for too long tho)**

 **Yeeeah some of you might want to kill me right now… After so much without writing anything, and now that I finally do is something I wasn't planning to write? Indeed! I'm sorry about that, but this is something I NEED to get off my chest. I've seen Danganronpa 3 Zetsubou Hen not long ago and, let's face it, it's awful. So I decided to change it somehow in my own pathetic way! And yes, I involved myself in this because fuck it, I'll try my best not to make myself that much of a Gary Stu. (Fun fact: I didn't want to put my real surname here, but I didn't know what surname I could put. I was blank, and that's why I decided to be Blank. Funny thing is that it has so much symbolism later, and I didn't even notice it until now)**

 **I have to remind you that English is not my main language, so if you see a weird grammar structure just bear it or rant about it in a review, I won't mind. After all, this story is something in doing to myself, to subside the frustration I'm feeling with the anime, so you don't have to read a semi-broken English story if you don't want to, that's fine.**

 **Obviously, there will be spoilers for Danganronpa considering that this is an alternative version of the Zetsubou Hen. Beware of that.**

 **And even if after all this you are willing to come with me in this crazy story, fruit of a momentary burst of rage and my desire to make things right, then be my guest.**

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1: Reserve Course**_

I was watching intently outside the window, seeing the trees swinging softly by the wind. I wasn't even paying attention to the teacher's class, I wasn't feeling like it. Today… wasn't simply my day. You might be wondering who I am and how exactly did I end sending an application for Hope's Peak Academy. It wasn't quite the interesting story, to be frank. I was born far away from Japan, so yeah, anyone here can consider me a foreigner, and that fact would get apparent when people looks at me curiously if I'm around. Anyway, I came to Japan a couple of years ago due to my mother's business. I never made that bunch of friends back home so I didn't really mind, in fact I took the time to learn Japanese before we moved. When I graduated from high school, my mother wanted me to go to a good academy, she wanted to make sure I would grow up with the best education she could afford. Granted, we could afford it but I just felt like I didn't fit. Hope's Peak Academy only accepts people with great talents or skills, people who is the best at whatever they do, and I am not one of those people. I don't consider myself a talented individual nor do I believe I can ever be one. I'm one of those who don't think too much on their lives, even my own standards are low. Basically, what I only want is a calm, simple life without high excitements or goals, the way I've been living until now is just fine and as long as it stays like that it will always be fine.

I obviously was expecting the application to be completely rejected and forgotten, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out that they accepted it. Sure, they only allowed me to go to the Reserve Course, but still. I shifted my gaze to the class, looking at my classmates. All of them wanted to be in the Main Course with the Ultimates, but either the Main Course was already full or they didn't fill what was expected to be an Ultimate. In a nutshell, the Reserve Course was like a 'waiting list' for students to get to the Main Course.

"Blank-san? Could you tell us what the answer is?" My teacher said, making every one in class to look at me expectantly. It was obvious that the teacher asked me because he noticed I was slacking off, it was his subtle way to say 'focus on the lesson'. A normal person would blush in embarrassment and begin to babble incoherently. I simply sat straight as I humbly said "I can't. I wasn't paying attention. Excuse me" I apologized.

"I hope this doesn't happen again. You are not in middle school anymore and you need to pay attention, okay?" He said strictly. I couldn't blame him, he was simply saying something true. "Understood" I said. I heard a couple of my classmates giggling to this scene before the teacher continued the class.

Once the bell was heard and class was dismissed I opted for looking out of the window once again for a couple of seconds before I head back home. "Hey" I heard someone saying from my right. I looked at the person and greeted them with a weak smile. "Hi Hinata, how's it going?"

"Uh… Good, I guess" This is Hajime Hinata. I met him the first day since I came here. He was the only one nice enough to talk to me in the first place. He saw right through me when he pointed out if I was a foreigner, ( _Looks like I am that transparent, uh?)_ and the rest noticed too, which would explain why they looked at me curiously and yet not dare to even speak to me. At first, maybe they thought I couldn't speak Japanese and, as such, wouldn't dare to ridicule themselves with a possibly broken English, but now I think they are either too shy or too rude. I wouldn't say that we are best buddies forever but he seems like a nice guy to hang out with every once in a while. "That didn't sound quite convincing, my friend" I mocked him.

He looked down. I know that face, he's been doing it since he told me his reason for being here. Being my complete opposite, he's longing to get to the Main Course. He thinks he can't do anything right just because he doesn't have a talent, thinking that being in the Main Course will solve that. It doesn't work like that, the academy helps you improve your talents, but doesn't give you one just like that. It was pretty depressing seeing him so down nevertheless.

Looking through his façade, I decided to cheer him up "Don't worry about that too much". He looked at me intently as I watched the trees outside "It doesn't matter if you aren't good at anything specific. I'm sure that the Ultimates must feel pressured to meet up with society's expectations, but at best, they are just that: The Ultimate Student this, The Ultimate Student that. You catch my drift". I paused for a second and sighed, thinking deeply about what I said next "Meanwhile, the 'nobody' doesn't need to prove anything. They are free to be or do whatever they want. And I believe that is something we should cherish".

I saw him chuckling and looking away "Funny, I met someone yesterday that said exactly the same thing…" I couldn't help the smirk that crossed my mouth as I heard the way he said that.

"Do you like this person?"

"What?! No! I j-just met her yesterday!"He yelled as a quick blush formed in his face.

"Hmm, so it's a girl… Interesting…" I said mischievously, which made him blush even deeper as he grunted. I just loved to pick on him, it's hilarious. "However, she's right. You should listen to us and love yourself a little more" I concluded, leaving the teasing behind. Hajime seemed to consider it for a quick time before looking up again and ask "Hey Blank-san, I will be seeing her in a couple of minutes. Do you want to come with me and introduce you to her? She's from the Main Course!" He declared enthusiastic as if he was trying to convince me. I didn't tear my gaze away from the window as I frowned "The Main Course? Is she an Ultimate?" I asked with curiosity.

"Y-Yeah! Though she's quite… different… I believed that the Ultimates would be more… serious, you know? As if they were an elite of sorts" He continued despite I wasn't even looking at him, and due to my silence he decided to continue talking "I-I thought you would want to come and distract yourself. Lately you seem off, like if you were thinking about something else." Ah, so he noticed that too… He can be quite the observant at times. I didn't want to dig into that matter too much for my own good so I decided to speak up.

"You know what? You got me, I'll go"

"R-Really?!"

"Yeah, it's not like I have anything better to do. It would be a nice change for once. Besides, I'm quite curious about the people attending the Main Course" I said while I rested my chin on my hand, deep in thought.

"Oh! Cool! I'll be going now"

"Right. Go ahead, I'll catch up with you at the entrance once I picked up everything here"

* * *

Half an hour passed since we reached the fountain where Hajime was to meet up with this girl. If I remember correctly, classes end at the same hour on both courses, which led me to think that this girl was just the type of person who comes late. Hajime was lying on the bench with his eyes closed while I sat beside him, phone in hand and looking at pictures posted on the net. Every now and then I would look around to check if someone shows up or looked at Hajime deep in thought. Eventually, I succumbed to boredom as I turned off the phone and rested my head on the back of the bench. I let out a long sigh right before opening softly my eyes to look at bright blue sky.

My mind came back to those words Hajime said right before we left. _As if I was thinking about something else, uh?_ I thought to myself. _Something like that… Maybe it's the fact that I'm beginning to feel everything as superfluous… Nothing interests me lately and all I do comes from pure habit… I think… I'm just bored of everything… yet there's nothing I can come up with to make something different… It's like an infinite cycle that I don't know how to break…_

I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice a woman approaching and startling Hajime, who fell down the bench from the shock. "S-Sensei?! What are you doing here?!"

"Is that an appropriate way to greet someone, young man?" The newcomer said with a slight annoyance. She then noticed me sitting there awestruck and smiled brightly "Hi there!"

"H-Hello…" That was all I could manage. The sight of this girl couldn't allow me to do more. She appears to be on her early twenties, so she was barely older than me, and of course she couldn't be a student. She has this long, ginger hair tied into a ponytail which I couldn't even begin to describe its beauty, and gorgeous green eyes I couldn't tear my gaze away from. What intrigued me about her was her attire since she was wearing an apron that made her look like a maid or a housewife. And I can't deny she has quite the figure, all things considered… Ahem.

"Uh… Blank-san, this is Yukizome-sensei. The teacher of the girl who I was supposed to meet here" He said as he informed me of who this girl was. Wait a second… "teacher"? _Are you seriously telling me that I was checking on a teacher?! Geez, I need to get my morals straight_. I saw the woman turn to me with that bright smile I couldn't stop looking at while she introduced formally "Yukizome Chisa! I'm Class 77's sensei! Nice to meet you!" She offered her hand, noticing that I was a foreigner just as Hajime did once. I still needed to get that 'bowing' thing right when greeting someone (yes, even after so much time living here) so I simply took her hand and shock it hesitantly. "Um… N-Néstor Blank, t-the pleasure is mine" I said nervously. Why was I acting like this? Sure, this girl was pretty, but I've dealt with girls I considered beautiful before and that didn't stop me from acting natural. Why would she be different?

"Néstor Blank… I like it! So exotic! It reminds me of one of my students. She is also a foreigner! Maybe you two would be good friends!" She said in such a happy tone. Without giving me room to talk, she turned to Hajime "You were expecting Nanami-san, right?" This got him by surprise as he tried to hide a forming blush. He simply nodded to her question. I couldn't help to smirk, seeing Hajime embarrassed over a crush was surprisingly amusing.

"I'm afraid she is not coming. Right now, she and her friends are having a good time playing games together…" She said with a sad smile. Hajime looked at the floor disappointed "I see… Anyway, what are you doing here Sensei?"

"I was actually looking for you" This caught us two by surprise "I would want you two to tell me things about the Reserve Course if it was possible"

Hajime sighed "I already told you yesterday… I've always wanted to attend at Hope's Peak Academy"

"It's that the reason why you are in the Reserve Course?"

"Yes… but I can't find the determination… There is no option for someone like me to get to the Main Course…"

"Hinata-kun!" She said, slightly annoyed "You shouldn't look down on yourself like that!"

"But…!"

"No 'but's, young man! Everything starts from believing in you! If you tell yourself that you can't do it you will never achieve anything! If you want something just go and get it! So look ahead and go for it!"

"She is right, Hinata" I spoke, agreeing with her "If the problem is that you think that can't then dispose of that thought. That's what keeps you from doing anything. Instead, think that you DO can, no matter how impossible it seems. After all, you can do much more if you **want** than if you **can** " Hajime smiled at this as Chisa seemed pretty fulfilled at my quick speech.

While we were chatting, an old man approached us and greeted us. I recognized this man as Kazuo Tengan, the academy's adviser and former principal. "Having a nice time I see" He softly spoke.

"Good afternoon, Tengan-san! How was your day?" Chisa asked.

"Good, just doing the everyday paperwork, nothing much more interesting. Say, do you mind if I take young Hinata with me for a moment? There is something I need to discuss with him" I looked over Hajime who seemed just as surprised as me. What would he want with him? He nervously stood up as he waved at me and Chisa "Hey Blank-san, I'm sure I'll be going home after these so you can go. See you tomorrow!"

"See ya" I said as he went with the old man somewhere else. I looked to my left at Chisa and noticed that it was just the two of us, which made my heart skip a beat for a second _Dang it! Why is this happening?! I haven't been so nervous before!_

"What about you?" Chisa's sweet voice got my attention as I looked at her and swallowed to put myself together.

"M-My reason for being here?" I said nervously, but that feeling got wiped away as I looked at the ground and thought about it "I… don't really know actually… I've been living here for some time now, even I started highschool in this country. And when it was time to look for a university my mother opted for this academy…"

"You say it as if it was a bad thing" Chisa said with worry.

"No, that's not it… It's just that this academy is supposed to let its students explore its best skill. That's what they are called Ultimates after all. But I just don't fit in. It's not like Hajime, he wants to, but feels like he can't. I simply don't want to right off the bat. It's… complicated…"

"It's funny that you think like that after such emotional speech you made to Hinata-kun" She giggled, trying to humor the situation. I chuckled back as I said "Yeah… I guess I'm good when it comes to appease people, but a mess with myself" I laughed once again. That sentence made her perk up a little, followed by a relieved smile. Did I say something odd?

"What you are trying to say is that you can't see yourself filling any kind of role because there's nothing you have interest in doing?" She asked, coming back to the topic at hand.

"… You could say that…" I said as I rested my head again on the bench. I felt her small hand take mine and squeeze it softly. I looked at her surprised, begging that my blush wasn't very evident. "It's okay. Everyone has something they love to do. You just haven't found it yet" She said like if she knew something I didn't… What was she thinking about…? "Just keep trying new things and I'm sure you'll find something eventually!" She added joyfully.

I smiled sadly at her "I don't think it's necessary… I've never wanted big goals or any kind of recognition. A simple life suffices me, really" I said pretty convinced, but the face she made told me otherwise.

"That doesn't make any sense. You say that there is nothing you want to do, yet you say that you like your life just as it stands?" She asks in a motherly tone that makes me look down in shame. I never thought about it in that perspective. I didn't know what to say anymore. "I… I just…" She cut me by pushing her finger on my lips.

"The problem is that you actually want to try new things, try something else, something different! But… you are afraid of change…" She smiled pitifully. That statement left me wide eyed and that was when she knew she was right. "You are afraid to mess something up and find yourself unable to come back, is that right…?" I simply looked away while frowning. I didn't think about it that way, maybe she was right… but I just refused to accept it…

I felt her hand squeeze mind once again to get my attention, but I didn't look at her. She sighed in defeat as she said "Look, I know it's scary. Leave everything you know to go to that big and mysterious world. It's overwhelming. I know exactly how you feel" She smiled "But we can't let those fears to control us. We've gotta be brave enough to try out, and if it doesn't work the way we want it doesn't matter! You have to keep trying until you succeed! You can't give up!" I couldn't deny the truth behind her words, my muscles relaxed and I let myself to look at her. "Besides, we will always have our friends and family along the way! And they will help us in those times we feel down! So don't worry about it okay?" She smiled softly with a quick squeeze. I laughed quietly in defeat and nodded to her.

She stood up from the bench with renewed energy. "Well, I gotta go, my students are waiting!" She said "If you need someone to guide you or simply chat, you know where to find me!" She winked as she went happily towards the Main Building.

I simply looked at her figure fading in the background. I sighed and smiled. How weird… This conversation we had was… relieving. It's as if she could give my bored heart a nudge I thought nobody would ever be able to. Try different things, uh?... You know… I think I'm a little bit more excited to get to the Main Course…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Welp, that was everything for the first chapter, I hope this is interesting enough for you to tag along for the rest of the story. This time I've written everything in advance so I don't find myself abandoning the story in the middle of it. But hey! Even so, you can always suggest me things to put on the story or what I should improve! If it doesn't change the general structure I can try to add it somehow.**

 **I will be posting each new chapter every 4 or 5 days, because I'm that evil :D. But rest assured, if you are reading this then I can assure you that this story is going to be completed.**

 **And yes, this will be a MeXChisa. I mean, I wasn't really into her that much at first, but after seeing what Junko and Mukuro had done to her… Sure, Chiaki's death was terrible, I know, but death per se is not worse than what Chisa has been through. She deserved better T_T... So yeah, just let me and poor mommy teacher be happy :(.**

 **Enough self-pity. If you liked this, leave a review and see you next chapter!**


	2. Talent is not everything

**Okaaaay, I'll upload this one too so you can have a wider peek and some kind of an insurance.**

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2: Talent is not everything**_

The next day, Hajime and I were back at the Reserve Course. It was break time so both of us were enjoying our meals on our respective tables in class. Hajime was looking to the Main Building through the window deep in thought, which made me remember yesterday's events. To be precise, former Principal Kazuo Tengan showed up while Hajime, Chisa and I were talking by the fountain once classes were dismissed. Kazuo wanted to talk with Hajime about something, and I began to ponder what could it be.

I decided to simply ask him, making him to look at me "Ah, well… He wanted to talk to me about… that project…" Those words caught me by surprise. I knew perfectly what project he was talking about. It was mentioned in the mail I received when my application was accepted.

"You mean… 'Kamukura Project'?" Hajime nodded, which sent a shiver down my spine and made me take a somber expression. 'Kamukura Project'… Apparently, the academy is looking for a volunteer to try an experiment on them. They said that they want to create a person with every talent known. The Ultimate of Ultimates. The Hope of Humanity. "What do you think…?" I asked with worry.

"I… don't know… Tengan-san says that I shouldn't think about it too much. He disagrees with the project, claiming that hope must come from people, not from talent" Hajime said. I nodded in agreement, it seems that Kazuo thinks just like I do.

I saw that Hajime was looking at me like if he was asking for my opinion. I crossed my arms and formulated "I agree with him. What's important is what you do, not what you are… Besides, create a person with every talent known? In other words, to play God, and you know perfectly that we can't play God" I looked at him seriously in order to make him come to his senses and realize that that project is up to no good.

My answer seemed to suffice him as he simply nodded and looked down at his food "Anyway… what about you? What were you talking with Sensei after I left?"

That made me replay yesterday's events in my head. I was still astonished that Chisa was able to pinpoint what was wrong when we barely knew each other… and I wasn't even able to realize it until she told it. It made me wonder about her and the Main Course.

"Well, we kind of had a therapy session back then" I chuckled "She somehow found a way to encourage me to go and look for something I could be good at, find out what my talent could be. It was… surprising to say the least. Nobody has ever done that before" I looked down with a smile, which made Hajime smirk. "And I think that I'm a little more interested in the Main Course thanks to that"

Hajime raised his eyebrow "Are you telling me that you have a crush on Yukizome-sensei?" He chuckled. He almost made me spit the juice I was drinking at the moment "Don't be ridiculous! How could I hit on a woman just like that?!" I coughed.

"Aw, come on. She's not THAT old!"

"I know! But she is a teacher, and I am a student! That's so wrong at so many levels…" Oh Hajime… You are taking revenge after I teased you with Nanami, are you?

"So you like her!" I looked at him murderously as I groaned.

"Hey, cut it out you lovebirds" A female voice interrupted us. We both looked at the blonde girl who was standing by our tables with her arms crossed "So, you said you were interested in the Main Course, uh?" She asked.

"Who are you?" Hajime asked.

"Ah, I know you. You were transferred a couple of days ago, right?" I asked her "I still remember what you said when you came here: 'I can't understand why they put me with people like you, but it's a pleasure nonetheless', right?"

"Hmm, I see you've made your homework" The girl said proudly "I meant what I said. After all, I'm the Ultimate Little Sister student!" Hajime and I looked at each other in confusion _Is that even a talent?_ The girl went on with her speech "You must have heard of us. A criminal group formed by 300 thousand members, the Kuzuryu group"

"'Kuzuryu'? Wait does that mean…?" Hajime said.

"Precisely, Kuzuryu group is my family. My big brother is the heir of my family, The Ultimate Yakuza student!"

"R-Really?"

"With such an amazing brother I must be the Ultimate Little Sister student! That makes sense, right?" She concluded with a proud smile. I stared lazily at her, that reasoning wasn't really logical but I decided to ignore it.

"But… You're here at the Reserve Course" Hajime pointed.

"That doesn't mean that I don't have talent!" She said annoyed "Maybe you two have already given up, but I'll do whatever it takes to make it to the Main Course!" She was a determined one, not gonna lie. "I'm sure that if someone from the Main Course leaves I could fill up the gap" She said with a somewhat evil smirk "Like a certain girl with freckles that I hate" I don't think I liked that.

Another girl came from behind me and slammed her hand on my desk, startling us three "Natsumi, I hope you are not planning anything weird"

"Oh, if it isn't Sato-san! Long time no see!" Natsumi said with mocking joy. "What? Are you spying on us?"

"Answer me!" Sato said impatiently "You will not try anything, will you?!"

"What are you talking about?" Natsumi said innocently, which only served to make the other girl to grumble.

"Do you… know each other…?" Hajime asked nervously. I simply looked at them, I could feel a tension building up so it was best to stay calm and intervene if it was necessary.

"We were in the same Photography club in school" Natsumi said without giving him more attention.

"If you dare to do something to Mahiru, I won't let you get away with it!" Sato yelled. I was already feeling that this will go down eventually.

"Just who do you think you are coming here and accusing me!"

"I'm just saying you better not be planning something!"

At that moment I noticed a girl with red hair entering with urgency into the classroom. "You can't do anything without recurring to your parents!" Sato yelled right before the new girl came and stopped her.

"Please, stop it!" She begged.

"Mahiru…" Sato seemed to calm down at the sight of this girl.

"It has been long, Koizumi-san" Natsumi said maliciously. "What is a Main Course student doing here?" Mahiru tried to spoke just before Natsumi cut her "Did you come here to make fun of those without talent?" She said. The rest of the class stared at us and began to whisper between them. I had enough.

"Drop it" I said without losing my temper, if I get aggressive things can get nasty really quickly.

Natsumi laughed a little evilly as she said "I was just joking!"

"Stop this!" Sato said "Your brother is in the same class as Mahiru!"

"Yeah, what about it?" Natsumi said with surprising seriousness, it intimidated the two girls. Even Hajime wasn't moving a muscle "Are you trying to pick on me? I dare you to try. I'll kill you"

"I'd suggest you stop right there" I said with the same tone she used as I stood up to meet her in the eye.

"What do you think you are doing? Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" She said in a smug tone. This girl was picking on my nerves but I was determined to stay calm.

"What I only see is a little girl trying to sound cool by bullying the rest just to make her feel important" This caught the girls and Hajime by surprise, no one seemed to even dare to challenge Natsumi.

"Why you little…! If you talk to me like that I'll…!"

"You'll what? Send your entire family to me? I don't care. I won't let you bully these girls just because you threaten me" I said with impressive impassivity. She widened her eyes in shock "So, go ahead. Send your yakuzas to me, make them cut my limbs off, make me sleep with the fishes. I dare you"

Even I couldn't understand why I was so calm about this. I was challenging a member of a Yakuza family to kill me, it was a suicide. But I couldn't help it, I just didn't want to look away from this unfairness. It was like if my mind got fixed to the idea of making Natsumi to leave the other girls alone, and it seemed as if nothing could make me change my mind.

Mahiru decided to intervene, not liking where this was heading "You haven't changed one bit, did you…?"

"YOU haven't changed since the Photography club!" Natsumi burst out loud "You are still the same bitch who hates everyone in secret!"

"Are you that desperate to get into the Main Course?" Sato said in disbelief "Will you even drag down Mahiru to achieve it?! You are the worst! If the Main Course doesn't recruit you then it means that you have no talent!"

That last statement made Natsumi to lose it "Why you…!" She raised her hand to slap Sato, but I grabbed her wrist to prevent her from doing something stupid. She stared at my deadly gaze as I somberly said "I won't repeat myself. Drop it" She looked stunned for a couple of seconds until she released her hand violently and left the class with a loud bang.

Everyone just looked at us shocked until I spoke like if nothing happened "Quite the nerve she has, don't you think Hinata-san?"

"Uh?" My sudden change of demeanor got Hajime by surprise, but he seemed to let it go nonetheless "Y-Yeah…"

"You two alright?" I asked the girls. Both of them nodded and Mahiru added a 'thank you' before I headed for the door. "I'll be going out to get some fresh air. You coming?" I asked Hajime. He simply shook his head in denial and I opened the door to head outside by myself.

* * *

Later that day, once classes were dismissed, Hajime wanted to see this girl he told me about. He said she wanted to play a classic game so I decided to bring my Game Girl to play with the two. This time the girl showed up, her name is Chiaki Nanami and she's the Ultimate Gamer student _Hell, I would love to have that talent. Videogames would be much more interesting!_ I thought to myself while I introduce myself to her. She was kind of cute, I can see why Hajime would be interested in her. It was quite funny how little emotion she could show, like she had a permanent poker face, but once you let her talk about videogames she looks like a whirlwind of emotions. She seems nice, I think I will tag along these two much more often.

We three are currently playing Gala Omega, which was awkwardly similar to Galaga… Must be my imagination… As it was expected from the Ultimate Gamer, she was so absorbed into the game that she wasn't even breathing! It was to be expected considering that we made a bet to see who would be the last one standing. The first one to fall was Hajime, who I noticed that he wasn't really paying attention, he must be thinking about something else. I'll ask him later, right now I have a bet to win! I pressed the console's buttons furiously with determination, if this girl was the Ultimate Gamer then this would be a tough battle! Every once in a while I took quick glances at her to see how was she doing. I was impressed to see that even if her eyes were fixed to the screen she did not falter and it didn't seem like she was losing soon… unlike me, who after returning my gaze to the screen I realized that my ship exploded. I let the console rest in lap as I sighed rather loudly.

"Yay, 500 yens for me" She cheered in an almost unnoticeable joy… yeah, I forgot to mention that only Chiaki and I betted… Curse you, luck!

"No wonder why you are called the Ultimate Gamer!" I said a little exhausted.

"Yeah, you both beat me!" Hajime followed.

"That was because you weren't focused" Chiaki pouted. It seems like she noticed too, which made Hajime to sigh and rest his head on the back of the bench. "Is something wrong?"

Hajime didn't respond, he just looked at the sky without looking at us. Giving him some space, Chiaki restarted her game and played serenely. I was about to speak until Hajime broke the silence. "Hey, Nanami… If you hadn't the talent to play videogames, what would you be doing?" He asked with melancholy. _Back with that issue, uh? It seems that Hajime still has doubts…_ Actually, I'm quite interested in what this girl thinks about it, so I simply listened closely.

"If I had no talent?" She asked.

"Like if you kept losing no matter how hard you tried… or if they were too hard to beat… Would you have fun playing games despite that?" Hajime asked.

Chiaki seemed to think about it for a second until she smiled a little and answered "I think it would still be fun in its own way. I just love videogames"

"Even if it there was somebody with more talent than you? Someone you can't defeat?"

"There is more in life than talent" She concluded. Hajime looked at her surprised. "It is something Chisa-sensei said, but…" She admitted "your life is not interesting enough just from talent. By involving yourself with the others and creating memories, hope is born, which is much more important than talent" Wow… Now I can understand why Hajime seems so interested in her. Those were… really powerful words, and coming from a person who doesn't have to worry about things like that makes it even more impactful.

"Playing with you is fun…" Chiaki continued, a blush forming in her cheeks and making Hajime blush in consequence.

"Yeah… me too…" Welp, this is getting awkward for me, being there in such a romantic tension… Should I go and let them be by themselves?

"Uh… I think I'll be going now, excuse me!" I laughed nervously as I stood up. Hajime grabbed my wrist to stop me. "Where are you going? We can still playing!" He said joyfully.

"Yeah, let's play again, Blank-san!" She agreed with him.

"Again?! Why don't we play another game instead?" Hajime groaned.

"Nope. Now we'll be playing co-op" She stated, not accepting a 'no' for an answer. I couldn't help but laugh, seeing how Hajime seemed so happy around this girl. And if they really wanted me to play with them once again, then I guess I can't refuse "Okay, you got me!" I laughed as I took out the console again.

* * *

 **Hajime Hinata's P.O.V.**

It was already late in the afternoon, we came back to the classroom to pick up our things. Blank-san left early so he must be on his way home. He's a really nice guy, and he seems to get along Nanami-san well. I think I've got really good friends. I thought about what Nanami-san said earlier and I began to ponder them _Even without talent you can still create hope… I think that not having any talent isn't so bad after all…_ Just as I got out of class I noticed Natsumi Kuzuryu at the end of the hallway, staring at the Main Building from the window. Remembering what happened earlier I decided to talk to her about it. She heard my approaching steps and turned around. She greeted me with a look of disgust and turned back to look at the window "What?" She asked.

"Kuzuryu, back then in the morning, that was intimidation! You can't act like that!"

"Shut up. You're just a reserve student" She said without even looking at me.

"Acting like that won't make you go to the Main Course. You'll just get yourself expelled! Do you really want that?"

"Shut up!" She yelled now looking at me. I noticed that tears began to form on her eyelids "Didn't I tell you before?! I'll definitely make it to the Main Course! Definitely! Definitely…" She lost strength at the last word. I looked at her with pity as she wiped out her tears and looked back to the window.

"Why are you so obsessed with the Main Course?"

"My brother is the Ultimate Yakuza student. If I don't be the Ultimate Little Sister student I'll be left behind. I don't want that!" She said irritated. I remembered the words that Nanami said ' _There is more in life that talent'_ … It was true… yet I can relate to what Kuzuryu was feeling… It's just like the way I feel…

"I understand… Being left behind feels lonely… But, I believe there are more important things in life than just talent!"

"What are you talking about? There is nothing more important than talent" She said.

"You love your brother, right?" Maybe referring to him would make her understand "Even if you don't have talent you can still be with him and make memories"

"People without talent have no right to be with my brother!" She burst angered and made me jump from the surprise "I want something to be proud of… and not being look down upon. I want to be with him! And if they acknowledge me as the Ultimate Little Sister, then I can be by his side…" Those words were pretty saddening. Did she really think like that? Is it even true…? If I have no talent… could I still be with Nanami…?

* * *

Next morning I was walking by the academy, ready to begin today's classes… or so I thought… I couldn't stop thinking about what Kuzuryu said yesterday… People without talent can't be with those who have it… I could never stand the thought of not being able to see Nanami ever again… But then, where does this leave me? What can I do…?

My thoughts were never responded as a quick flash of red caught my eyes and made me look up to the main entrance. There were two or three police cars parked there and the doors to the academy were sealed off. Students were gathered at the entrance, talking with each other with noticeable worry. What could have happened…? Between the commotion, I could distinguish Blank's figure rushing towards me "Blank-san? What's wrong?"

"Hinata! There has been a murder!" He yelled with urgency,

"What…?"

"Listen! Natsumi Kuzuryu! She has been murdered! She's dead!" I couldn't believe what he was saying, it just couldn't be true… I dropped my bag from the shock while I just looked at him unable to speak. _What…?_

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Quite the cliffhanger here… Not really tho, everyone who has seen the anime already knew this was happening eventually. If you didn't then what the hell are you doin' here?! Haven't you figured that this will have spoilers even if it is an alternative universe?! (Sorry for the spoiler nonetheless :( ).**

 **Leave a review if you liked it and see ya next chapter!**


	3. Be worth of you

**So, I really am alone in this. Okay then…**

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3: Be worth of you**_

I still couldn't believe this… Natsumi Kuzuryu… dead? I mean, sure, she was quite the brat and she was probably planning to hurt a poor school girl, but still… to simply have been murdered…

I was sitting with Hajime on a bench by the fountain, trying to swallow the news. Classes were suspended that day so it wasn't like we could be anywhere else… Ironically, today was heavily cloudy as to add a gloomy atmosphere to an already grim situation. My friend just rested his forehead on his palms, trying to get over it. It must have been tough for him.

Which… was the reason I felt so… confused. Normally, when things like these happen, people tend to get sad or depressed. They will need some time to get over it. There are some… that can't even move on… But I don't feel like that, far from it actually. I'm not sad, but rather mad. Instead of mourning about her loss, I'm cursing whatever must have happened for her to die, or even hating the one responsible for her death. It's like I want to search for the guilty and make them pay for what they did, and I won't feel at peace with myself and with the deceased until I've served justice. That… makes sense… right?

"Tell me the truth!" We heard a voice from afar. Hajime and I stood up and went for the source of the voice. Not too far from where we were stood Mahiru and Sato and they seemed to be discussing about Natsumi's death "What happened yesterday?" Mahiru asked her friend while holding her hands. Sato wasn't even looking at her, let alone planning to give her an answer. Fearing the worst, Mahiru asked "Don't tell me… that you…"

"… It's true that I wanted to kill her…" she confessed. Mahiru did not falter and instead listened to her friend, but Hajime was startled and a frown got over my forehead. It makes sense: Natsumi was planning to get rid of Mahiru somehow, and Sato is very protective over her. It's perfectly plausible for her to be the murderer. "She was saying bad things about you! Maybe she… no, she was definitely going to kill you!" Sato said with hatred. She pulled up her sleeve to show a scar to her friend "Do you remember this? Back in the Photography club, when you two were having a quarrel, I stopped you… and then, that night…"

Hearing these things made Mahiru to look at her toes as she seemed to be on the verge of crying "I'm so sorry…"

"It wasn't your fault!" Sato grabbed her gently by the arms, trying to reassure her "Listen, I would never try to hurt her. I wouldn't dare to kill anyone. Trust me, Mahiru!"

"Yeah, I trust you…" Mahiru smiled to her friend, who smiled back. Hajime and I were still listening behind some bushes. He looked back at me just to be greeted by a 'not buying it' face. This was still pretty suspicious to me and I believe that we have to have a word with Sato once she's left alone. "I must go now. See you later!" She waved and Sato waved back. Now was our chance.

Hajime was the first to speak, catching the girl by surprise who adopted a defensive behavior "What were you two talking about? You didn't harm Kuzuryu, right?"

She seemed to get nervous at the mention of the topic "W-What are you saying?! Don't be ridiculous!" I would love to let Hajime do the interrogation, but his kind nature would get us nowhere. Opting for a firmer approaching, while keeping nice, I spoke up "Listen, we want to believe you, but we need to clear any suspicion we might have. So, please, could you tell us where you went after the argument you had with her yesterday?"

"You don't understand! She was murdered by an intruder! Or maybe she committed suicide… Maybe she gave up because of her lack of talent and ended her life! That's right, that's gotta be it!" She said nervously.

This time was Hajime who spoke up "Kuzuryu didn't give up! It's true that she had no talent but-"

"You are wrong…" She whispered. Both Hajime and I looked at her stunned, none of us expected this sudden outcome from her "You are wrong… You are wrong…!" She repeated over and over, each time a little louder until she finally brought her hands to her head and left running and screaming.

I could feel a cold shiver crawl down my spine. I… just didn't know what to say… That was… rather unexpected, and it seems that Hajime thought so too. "What… was that all about?" Hajime asked as if trying to get himself out the trance.

"Welp, that went badly, ain't it?" I said, trying to relieve the tension in the air "It looks like we both are the bad cop, right?" It seemed to work, as Hajime laughed weakly before letting out a lazy 'yeah'.

* * *

No culprit was able to establish and the case was closed as a suicide. The next day we went to class like if nothing happened, but the tension could still be felt. There was a vase and a flower resting on her desk as a tribute. That was a Japanese custom that I found heartwarming, even if it was used in such sad occasions. To make one last tribute by putting a flower where the deceased used to be... It was such a simple act, yet it held so much emotion… I smiled sadly at its sight as I went to my desk.

Before the class began, the teacher made a brief speech for Kuzuryu, but he was interrupted by another student who asked where Sato was. Just as she said it I took a glance to Sato's desk and found it empty. The teacher said that he didn't know and excused it as her being late.

However, it wasn't that simple… She never came to class that day… nor the next two days… And then, four days from Kuzuryu's death… Sato's body was found…

* * *

I had enough. Two deaths in a row and authorities aren't mobilizing to try and find out what happened? This sounds too fishy for me. It's just like the school is actually trying to get rid of the problem and forget about it. I wasn't going to let them get away with it, if they took the trouble to hide their deaths that means they have something to do with it. What could it be? That I don't know, but one thing is sure: I am not going to rest until I find out what's wrong.

I'm currently standing at the entrance of the Main Building. I needed to talk with someone, anyone that could tell me more about the school affairs. Kazuo Tengan, Chisa-sensei, someone from the school staff… Hell, even an Ultimate student will do at this point. I tried to get into the building, but a security guard prevented me from doing so. "Hey! You are a student from the Reserve Course! What are you doing here?" He said with authority. I tried to see if I could reason with him.

"I must talk with Koizumi-san from the Main Course about something" I was firm but I tried not to sound cocky. But it seems it will not do.

"You can't!"

"But…!"

"Those are the rules. I can't allow you to go in" I knew this was stupid, but I tried to go around him and make a run for it, but he was quick to grab me "Come on! Just let me pas-!" I was cut by someone who grabbed the neck of my shirt and pulled with such strength that made me fall. This new guard was much more robust and strong, and I doubt he would let me talk to begin with.

"You must follow the school rules" He began with an extremely annoying tone of authority that I grew to hate quite fast "I'll turn the blind eye just this once, so get lost" He spat before turning away and walking to the Main Building.

"Hold it! I just want to learn about those girls deaths! Tell me the truth!" I spoke while standing up and brushing the dust away.

He turned around and looked at me sideways "You want the truth? Very well, here it is. A girl was murdered a couple of days ago by a mysterious person that broke into the school. Days later, one of her classmates died from the shock. That's all" Well, that was disappointing… But of course I won't be giving up now.

"Don't beat around the bush! You are just trying to brush this under the carpet, am I wrong?!" I yelled impatiently.

He frowned and brushed his hair with his hand "You reserve students are all replaceable. I don't have time to worry about it when anyone of you dies" Wait, what?! Did he seriously imply that our deaths are just an annoying burden?! Now you have finally earned it, Big Guy.

Out of pure rage, I launched myself to him and tried to punch him. He easily dodged it and hit me in the stomach. I knew that it wasn't going to be easy but to get K.O'd in the first hit? Man, I suck at this.

That hit weakened me to the point to fall down again and cough blood. "If you don't have talent you have to pay up to make up for it. So stop staining the good name of Hope's Peak Academy you trash" He said.

My lungs hurt, but I tried to speak up. I won't let this idiot go so easily with that stupid reasoning "Gr-Granted… She had no talent… What about it?! Every life is just as valuable as the rest!"

He kicked my ribcage again "No, they are not" I couldn't stand it anymore. The more he talks, the more rage builds up in me. I can't understand how someone could think like that: There are people whose lives are more important than the others? Don't make me laugh! This is not a freaking hierarchy! I so wished to stand up and make this guy learn to respect the others the hard way… but a direct confrontation with him will not be sensible. "Just give up" He went on "You can't make a diamond out of a piece of garbage. Just restrict yourself to act like a normal student and walk with the normal students, and enjoy life thinking that you are cool. You guys are always the same, you interact a little with the Main Course students and you already think that you are special. That's why I hate normal people" My stomach hurts, my ribs hurts, and I doubt I can get out of this harmlessly if he hits me again, but I won't keep silent anymore!

"You're… wrong…" He looked at me pathetically, trying to find strength in such a disadvantaged position "There is… more in life than talent… You can't go around… looking down upon everyone… just because they are not talented"

He pondered for a bit before he came back with a rather… unwanted reply "Well said. If you have the time to be jealous of the Ultimates, then use that time to do something productive, to act like a machine. As a matter of fact, people like you, with no talent, do not need to think" That's it! After this I will need a long time at hospital for sure, but I won't let myself hear this nonsense anymore! I stood up violently as I directed a really powerful punch to his jaw. Surprisingly, it landed! Points for me! "Would you like a long, beautiful sleep in hospital, uh brat?!" He yelled before he clenched his fist and directed it to my face. Well… this was it… Sayonara world…

But it never came.

 _What…?_ I looked in front of me to see a certain ginger haired girl standing with her arms stretched in defense. "Stop it" She calmly told the man. He sighed and let his arm relax. I growled lowly, I still wanted to beat the shit out of him. "Blank-kun, are you alright?" Chisa asked worriedly. I simply ignored her. I only wanted to relieve this stress, somehow, and Big Guy over there looks like a good punching bag to me. However, my agitated attitude disturbed the teacher who turned around to face me properly. She rested her hands on my shoulders to try to get my attention. "Blank-kun, enough" She spoke softly but with firmness. It made me look at her eyes, soft eyes that… somehow… brought peace to my mind. I felt all the rage I could have held being wiped away in an instant. She smiled, seeing that she could calm me up. She gently took my hand and pulled me to the Main Building.

Big Guy seemed to protest "Hey! You know the rules! We can't let someone like him pas-!"

"I know what the rules are" Chisa said firmly "If anything happens I will hold the entire responsibility" Big Guy was clearly not agreeing with her, but he let her do nonetheless. Now we were walking through the Main Building halls, presumably heading to the infirmary. It was impressive how these halls were so clean, I guess it is to be expected from the most prestigious institution in Japan. But that wasn't important right now.

"You… don't have to get in trouble just for me, you know…" I spoke softly, like a child who knew that they have done something bad. I was surprised to see that she simply looked back to me with her usual bright smile.

"Silly! Of course I will!" There it is. Again this nudge in my heart. It's just the second time we meet, and yet she was capable of making my heart skip a beat… I looked away in shame as we continued to walk.

Once we reached the infirmary she ordered me to sit down while she took everything she needed. She wiped the blood from my lips with a clean handkerchief and checked if I had anything broken. There wasn't anything serious fortunately.

"You are really good at this" I admitted with surprise. I mean, a teacher doing the job of a nurse? It was something to be proud of.

"Well, when you are responsible of a group of people you have to be prepared for any situation. If I don't do that then I can't proudly state that I'm the **Ultimate Housekeeper**!"

 **Chisa Yukizome: Ultimate Housekeeper**

So she was also an Ultimate? I guess it isn't that surprising seeing her capabilities. So a housekeeper… that explains the apron. "Although, I think I still need to improve. I've only graduated last year after all!" She smiled nervously.

"You graduated last year? Wow, you sure like to work right off the bat!" I praised her devotion, which made her raise her chest with proud. She went on with the checking.

"Don't take him too seriously" She said out of nowhere, but then I realized that she was talking about my incident with Big Guy back there "Juzo-san can be terrible at times, but he is just doing his job. If he gets on your nerves again just ignore him! That irritates him!" She giggled "You can also rant about him with me if it makes you feel better!" She was trying to cheer me up in her rather cute way. I think this could be considered as a "girls' talk"? It made me laugh out loud anyway.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room for a couple of minutes while she was checking me for the last time until she quietly brought a topic up "Have you been thinking about what I told you?" She asked. She was clearly referring to if I found something I wanted to aspire to, a talent I could be good at.

"Kind of… I've been playing videogames with Nanami-san and it sure is fun…"

"That was what I wanted to hear! I'm so happy you could do it!"

"But… I think it's not for me… I could never be as good as Nanami-san, not that it matters anyway. But I don't think that I could make a living out of it. I'm more 'casual', hehe" I laughed nervously, hoping she would understand a technical term.

She took a moment to speak before she looked directly eye to eye "Despite that, did you have fun?"

"Yeah… It sure was fun!" I replied without any doubt. She smiled satisfied as she took my hand and said "Then that's all that matters" I was… speechless… "It doesn't matter if you think you are not good at something. As long as you have fun with it, it will be always alright" She said. It reminded me of what Chiaki told us several days ago, and that brought a smile to my face which she mirrored. "Besides, don't worry about it, because I know for a fact that you are going to find your talent someday" She said convinced… maybe too convinced… Was there something she wasn't telling me? Maybe she has noticed something that I don't? Now I was even more interested in her.

Standing up, she sighed "Everything seems good to me! You are all patched up and ready to go!" She said with excitement. I stood up and hugged her out of pure habit, but then I regretted it, fearing that she would find it awkward. I was relieved to see that she returned it just as tight as I did, it felt… right… I didn't want to let her go but I eventually did because… you know, THAT would surely be awkward. "Thank you…" I muttered embarrassed, not even daring to look at her.

She just giggled sweetly "Remember, if there is something else I could help you with or if you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me!" She said happily.

I headed down the hall, feeling her gaze fixed behind me and making me blush. _Shoot… I'll always be awkward around her, will I? Stupid college crush…_

* * *

 **Chisa Yukizome's P.O.V.**

I watched as Blank-kun walked away, heading for the Reserve Course building. I couldn't help but smile at him. He's such a nice guy, I still remembered that day when I was talking with him and Hinata-kun. That made me think on his talent… By then I thought that I found out what his talent could be… But seeing him today, when he stood up against Juzo-san even if he knew he had no chance... _That determination I felt from him is something I've never seen, and I'm sure he's the type of person who will stand up for his friends, no matter how dangerous the situation… That stubbornness… was admirable… But what he said to Hinata-kun that day was also fairly incredible… He's showing so much potential in two thinks so different… Could it be that…?_

"I hope you haven't forgotten why we are here in actuality" I heard a voice from behind that made me jump in shock… What? I wasn't expecting it!. I looked around to see my old friend, Sakakura Juzo. "Munakata ordered us to investigate the dark side of Hope's Peak Academy" That's right, my role as a teacher here is just a cover for my real task. Kyosuke Munakata told us that the heads of this academy are up to something… something horrible, and it's up to us, Juzo-san and I to find out what it is! "It's not necessary to grow fond with those students and you know it" Juzo-san told me off.

"That's not true! I love all my students as if they were my own kids!"

"But that tenacious kid is not your student"

"I know, but he's just as precious as them!" Oh! I blurted that out! Quick! Change the topic! "I-I'm just investigating in my own way. Besides, what you did to him was just pure violence! I couldn't just turn the blind eye!"

"Hmph" He puffed. Good! He didn't notice it! …That, or he ignored it… "You've always been like this since highschool" I pouted annoyed. "Anyways, Munakata says that this institution is rotten to the core. I know perfectly that they are trying to conceal Kuzuryu's death"

I looked down in sadness "The other teachers have been talking about it too… I would like to explain it to my students later… They are just… so confused and devastated…" A flashing image of Koizumi-san sobbing on Saionji-san's kimono made tear up a little…

"This is annoying. To think that teachers and the heads are just worrying about their image…"

"If so, why would you be so mean with Blank-kun?!"

"If he begins to investigate and finds out more than he should, that boy is as good as dead"

"I can see what you are trying to do, but don't be so aggressive with students who know nothing!" I said, my motherly instincts kicking in. I guess that I sure grow fond with people, right? "But… it's true that Hope's Peak Academy is going down the wrong path, and the only one who can change it is Munakata-san…"

"Yeah… He's the only one" Juzo-san, Kyosuke and I have been friends for a long time, so I know both of them perfectly. You could also say that I'm Kyosuke's best friend, hehe! But Juzo is right, Kyosuke was always the most organized one of us three, a leader of sorts. It was to be expected from the Ultimate Student Council, that's why we trust in him to end this!

"Well, I must go now. My students are waiting!" I said as I headed to my class.

"Yukizome" Juzo-san stopped me for a bit "You acted like a real teacher back there" He said looking away. I smiled, taking his compliment and returning to my class.

* * *

 **Hajime Hinata's P.O.V.**

I've made up my mind… Maybe this wasn't a good idea, maybe I went crazy… But I just want to end this. Kuzuryu-san's words repeated itself in my mind as I made my way to the Main Building. _People without talent doesn't deserve to be with those who have it…_ My mind changed to an image of Nanami-san… I wouldn't stand it… To think that I could never be with her… because I lack in talent… I didn't want that, that's why I'm doing this…

Speaking of her, I saw that she was waiting for me at the fountain that was midway between the buildings… Nanami-san… "Hinata-kun!" She ran happily to me with a plastic bag between her hands "Look, a new game has been released. Let's play it!" She smiled expectantly. I would have loved to… To stay behind and play with her… But I had no time for this, I'm so sorry, Nanami-san…

I shook my head reluctantly "Sorry, I have things to do… There is a place I need to go" I saw her smile dropping and looking at the floor disappointed. It broke my heart. I considered retracting it, to forget about everything and play with her… But I can't, this is something I NEED to do… I walked away in shame.

"Hinata-kun!" She yelled suddenly. There was a hint of urgency in her voice. I turned around quickly and asked worried "W-What is it?" She began, but then hesitated for a second to finally apologize for the sudden outburst. I smiled "Nanami… Are you creating memories?"

"Uh…?"

"Make sure to create lots. After all, you are not just the Ultimate Gamer student, you have other good values…" I let my heart do the talk, because I meant what I was saying… I saw her blushing, she mustn't be used to compliments… "Well… See you later…"

"Y-Yes! See you tomorrow!" She said happily. I turned around and began to walk again, and just as I did, my smiled dropped… See you tomorrow… I wish it was true… _Nanami… I want to be able to call you my friend proudly. "I have a talent. I can do this perfectly" I'll make those words a reality… I'll make sure… I'm worth of you…_

Once I reached the designated room, the heads of the academy greeted me. They had my student files and asked if I was joining the project voluntarily… I nodded…

"Very well" One of them said "'Kamukura Project' shall begin"

* * *

 _To be continued…_

 **Don't you find it frustrating that in the anime Hajime decided to be the test subject of Kamakura's project due to his insecurity even if Chisa, Tengan and Chiaki told him that it wasn't that bad that he hadn't a talent? I think it is. Welp, say bye-bye to him, 'cuz we won't be seeing him until WAY later on.**

 **Leave a review if you liked it and see ya next chapter!**


	4. Explosion and Expulsion

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4: Explosion and Expulsion**_

The next day I was walking to the academy, thinking about what Chisa had told me yesterday when we were at the infirmary. _No matter what I do, as long as I have fun it will always be worth it. Yeah, I can see the reasoning behind it, and it sounds just like her: Happy and quirky._ But there was something else that caught my interest… it was the way she said that I would find my talent someday, it was too… confident… It's just like if she already knew I had a talent to begin with… Maybe I really do but I didn't realize it? I guess I have to think it over once I got time, maybe I can talk with Hajime about this.

I made it to class a couple of minutes early so I sat down and waited patiently. I realized that Hajime was nowhere to be seen. I asked some of the other students if they have seen him, but they stated that he didn't even come to class yet. Odd, Hajime is the kind of guy to come to class early no matter the circumstances. I remember that time when he came wearing a mask on his mouth, saying that he was ill. I had asked him if he shouldn't be at home if that was the case, but he just kept saying that he cannot waste time and miss any of these classes. I guess he feels responsible of the money that was spent for his education here…

But now, he wasn't here… _Could something have happened…? Maybe he is just devastated by Natsumi and Sato's deaths… Don't tell me…?!_ My mind ran wild at that moment as every hair on my body got stiff, I began to fear if he had done something stupid. I quickly grabbed my phone and pressed the buttons furiously. I put it on my ear while my foot tapped the floor impatiently. No answer. _This is not good… He doesn't answer and I don't even know where he lives..._ Eventually I just sighed in defeat. I didn't have a clue to know his whereabouts so there was nothing I could really do. Besides, I might just be panicking and he's just fine. As such, I simply sat back on my seat through clenched teeth as the bell rang. _Now that I think about it… maybe Chiaki could help me here. It is not a safe bet, seeing what I got myself into when I tried to go to the Main Building yesterday. But I just can't stay put and do nothing about it, so I'll give it a shot anyway… This is going to end bad, right?_

* * *

Once again, class dismissed. As I expected Hajime didn't come, but I tried not to think too much about it. I packed all my things up and headed for the Main Building, hoping that I could find a way to get through harmlessly if it was possible. Fortunately, luck struck me as I looked up and saw the girl I was looking for sitting on the bench by the fountain between the buildings. As expected, she was playing unconcerned with her Game Girl. She took brief bites of her sandwich every once in a while. Not wanting to disturb her, I just stood there and waited for her to be done. After a couple of minutes, she let out a loud breath. _That girl is going to kill herself one of these days if she keeps holding her breath like that!_ I chuckled internally. She lazily looked up and waved her hand slowly. She really loses the perception of her surroundings when she's focused on the game, uh?

I sat beside her on the bench and greeted her "Good morning, Nanami-san! How was your day?"

"Good… I think" She said unsure "We didn't do much. Yukizome-sensei told us that we will have our practical test tomorrow" A practical test? It makes sense, I guess. It's the only way to evaluate how someone is doing with their talent. If you think about it, it sounds more like a Talent Contest than a test, hehe! I looked up to Chiaki with a smile to tell her what I came up with just now, but her face made me drop it… She was feeling down, I can see it in her face. Why would that be? I mean, it's a test and that sucks okay, but if it got something to do with something you master then it should be a little exciting, right?

"Nanami…" I rested a hand on her shoulder to get her attention "I can see that something is bothering you. Would you mind telling me what is it?" She looked down again as she seemed to be gathering her thoughts.

"We are not in our best moments… All the class is still depressed over those poor girls' deaths… I believe that nobody is really excited about the test…" She said sadly. I couldn't help to feel pity for her… "Koizumi-chan has lost her friend… and Kuzuryu-kun has lost his sister… and no one seems to care… They are so sad…" One lost her friend, the other lost her sister, and if they get along so well then it's obvious to assume that the rest would feel just as sad… "And I don't know where Hinata-kun is…" Hajime? Oh, I completely forgot about him! "Have you seen him…?" She asked me with hopeful eyes… It was heartbreaking to tell her like this…

"No, I haven't… I tried to contact with him through the phone but he doesn't respond…" I said. She looked away and brought her knees to her chest.

"I see…" She whispered… I felt guilty, I was the one who asked her and made the topic arise. I didn't want her to feel so down, especially if she was having such an important test tomorrow. I made her feel like this, so it was now my responsibility to cheer her up. I poked her shoulder to make her look at me. She did, but she didn't look as expectant as I wished. I smiled, trying to start up by showing her relief.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure that Hajime is fine, and once he is back we can come back to play games together! That sounds good, right?" That seemed to work, seeing her sighing and smiling a little. So far so good "And about Koizumi-san and Kuzuryu-san, I understand that they are feeling like that and I pity them. But right now, what they need is your support as classmates. How can they get over their deaths if you aren't there to comfort them? Just try to cheer up and reassure yourself and soon you'll see that the rest will follow!" I declared, trying not to sound too harsh, but excited enough for her to take the message. Now she was relaxing her muscles as she nodded in understanding. And now, the final touch "After all, it would be a shame that all of you screw up in tomorrow's test… Don't you find it exciting? You can show off what you can do at that thing you love to do… Think about it: You, a videogame and a whole hall watching in awe as you beat stage after stage flawlessly…" I looked briefly at her to see a quick spark coming from her eyes "Wouldn't you find that thrilling?"

She finally looked at me with a smile and confessed "Yeah, I would… I think" She stated doubtfully for a second which made me laugh.

"That's what I wanted to her!" I praised her. I stood up to come back to class until she stopped me.

"Um, Blank-kun…"

"Yep?"

"Maybe… you would want to watch me perform the test? I will be more at peace if I knew you were there" She said.

"Are you inviting me? I thought that it would be an event just for the Academy staff and the Main Course students"

"It's not. Due to the importance of this test and the prestige of the Academy, the event brings the attention of all the country. Many reporters and television managers are allowed to come in, so the event is actually open to the public" She said that with… impressively calm for what she has just said.

"R-Reporters and television managers?! Wow! T-That sure sounds pressuring enough!" I said as a sweat dropped ran down my forehead.

"That is why we must give our all. If we fail this test we will get expelled" Again, she said that TOO calmly. Is she seriously so calm in this 'do or die' situation?! And her classmates weren't even that focused to begin with… Why am I feeling s dizzy suddenly?! "That's why I would like for you to be there. I will be calmer if you were there to support me… I think"

I tried to swallow up the lump in my throat as I responded "S-Sure! I-I'll be there! But PLEASE, do your best effort!" I begged with reasonable worry and made her giggle a little. _Why is she even so calm about this?!_ "Well then" I said, trying to put myself together "I'll see you tomorrow, and don't forget to cheer up your classmates too. They will need it" No, seriously, they WILL need it.

She nodded and told me where the test will be held before she headed back to her class, waving her hand back to me. I mirrored her gesture as I went down to mine.

 _So I will be attending the most important exam for the Ultimates, even I feel nervous about this, not gonna lie. But, you know, maybe I can use this situation to my advantage! Chisa told me that I should try new things, and seeing the Ultimates showing off their talents is the best chance I will have to choose! I'll just write down those talents I would like to try out and ponder them later! There will be some that weren't that interesting to begin with at the end of the day, but I'm sure that I'll find at least one that I will definitely love! And if I have luck I could even be an Ultimate in it… Who knows? After all, as Chisa said 'As long as you have fun with it, it will be always alright'. It's settled then! Tomorrow I will be making the first step in the direction I should have taken long ago! Be prepared world, 'cause here I come!_

I thought as I jogged to the Reserve Course building with a renewed spirit. For the first time in years, I began to feel myself going forward to a change… a pleasant change…

* * *

The next day I just jumped out of the bed. I was so excited today that I couldn't wait to get to the Academy. In a record time I got dressed, had breakfast, brushed my teeth and packed everything to storm out of home and jog up to Hope's Peak Academy with a notebook in hand and a pen on ear.

I finally made it to the Main Building gym where the test will be held and surprised myself that there were indeed cameras fixed throughout the gym and reporters were informing of the event to their viewers. That lump in the throat came back as I remembered that Chiaki and her classmates were risking everything here today, I just hope everything goes well… I took a free seat and waited patiently for the event to begin.

After half an hour, five judges appeared on the podium located across the gym as different students got in and took turns to introduce themselves to the judges and make a little performance with their talents. I was surprised at the variety of talents I saw today: A pianist, a maid, a magician, a folklore dancer, an inventor, an artist, an astronaut… even a cosplayer! Throughout the event I wrote down those that I think I could have fun with. _Good, I already have a few talents. This was totally worthwhile! And these people are doing a really good job with their talents! I expected no less from the 'Ultimate' people._ I chuckled internally.

The next participant who came up was a girl wearing a hairy scarf and a winter hat. She placed plates with desserts over the judges' bench, one for each judge.

"So, Andou Ruruka, is it?" One of the judges asked followed by a nod from the joyful girl.

"You are the Ultimate Confectioner, right?" Another judge said. _A confectioner… That sounds… sweet, get it? Wait, who am I even talking to?_

"Yes!" Andou said happily "I call these babies Choux Crèmes! If I had to describe them, I will say that are the Heaven's Dessert!" The judges let out a synchronized 'ohhh'. As for me… I'll say that the way she was describing them made me felt a weird oversweetened sensation on my taste buds, but that was beside the point. "But they are not just delicious! With just a single bite, no matter how exhausted you feel, everyone will feel an empowering sensation that will make them touch the sky! These Choux Crèmes are choux-premes!" That last statement left the jury in shock. _Too sweet or not, I have to admit that she has made a clever use of words there._

"Very well, we will now have a taste!" The first judge said as the jury took the dessert and proceeded to bite it up. The moment they did it they looked at them as if they have just found the meaning of life "T-This taste…! I can feel it flowing through me…!"

"It's like flowing through Niagara Falls!"

"You are right! I can feel it too!" Every judge seemed to be in a state of ecstasy… it was so weird… _Wow, does it really taste THAT good?_ Suddenly, the judges groaned in pain as the held their bellies. Did something go wrong? "Ru-Ruruka… Could you explain this…?" The first judge asked in pain.

"I… I don't…" The girl was paralyzed, not knowing what to do. Another girl wearing a mask over her mouth and a boy with a red jacket made their way to the podium. Friends of Andou, I suppose.

"Ruruka-chan, what's wrong?" The guy asked.

"This… Could it have been…" The other girl began "… laxatives?"

"Laxatives?!" Another judge burst out. _Laxatives? Why would her put laxatives in those desserts in such an important occasion? Could she have just made a mistake?_ "What's the meaning of this?!"

"Seiko Kimura, what did you do?" The guy asked in an intimidating tone.

"I… I just…! I just…!" Seiko didn't seem to put her thoughts into words.

"You… You lied to me…" Andou said with a hint of pain in her voice. "You gave me this weird drug…" She showed Seiko a bottle half filled with a weird liquid.

"That… That cannot be…" Seiko said in disbelief.

"It cannot be?!" Andou yelled in rage. _Welp, there goes our sweet girl._ "I took the drug you told me to!" _Oh, so that's how it rolls. From what I can deduce, this Seiko must have a talent related to drugs or medicines and Andou tried to use one of them to ensure she would pass the test. How typical, no matter where you go you will always find people that cheat their way to victory. But a laxative? Even cheating she messed up?_

"You… Did you have anything to do with this too?" A judge asked the masked girl, still trying to… hold it…

"N-No!" Seiko said in defense.

I saw the guy in jacket release some kind of kunai from his sleeve as he pointed it to the masked girl "What are planning?"

Seiko stiffened in panic just before she put down the bag she was carrying and proceeded to open it "D-Don't worry…! I can use my medicines to…! What… What is this…?" She said as she looked into her bag in disbelief.

A judge gasped in fear "Is that… a b-bomb switch?!" She yelled, making the entire gym to panic. _A-A bomb?! What the hell is this?!_

"Kimura! You…!"

"N-No! You've got it all wrong! I just did it for Ruruka-chan! Because we are frie-!"

"We are not friends" Andou said coldly _Ouch… That stung…_ "Why did you lie to me? A person as horrible as you… cannot be considered a friend or even a stranger! You are just a pathetic subhuman!" _WOW! That's really harsh, you know? And I don't think it's a good idea to say that to a person who is carrying a freaking bomb!_

"Why…? Why did you say that…?" Seiko said hurt. "I always did what you requested me…"

"I trusted in you! I thought we were friends! I always thought that I could count on you! That's not fair!" Andou yelled angry.

"But… I always did things for you…! I got myself into this exam just for your sake!"

"How could I trust in someone who doesn't eat my sweets?! This is all your fault, you traitor!"

"My fault?!" Now even Seiko was mad. _This is not looking good…_ "How could any of this to be my fault?! YOU are the traitor!" This was seriously getting off hand. The people in the gym are beginning to panic and the two girls' discussion is not helping at all! _Should I just run away? But I can't let this mess go on! Oh, me and my stupid ideas…_ I needed to do something quick, the bomb right there is what troubles me the most. Even if the commotion is not sorted out fast, as long as that bomb ceases to be a threat everything should go well. Here goes nothing…

I tried to make my way through panicked people until a loud thud was heard from the wall of the gym and everyone got silent. The thud continued until the wall broke up and loud barks were heard from the other side _Wait… barks?_ Suddenly, a giant dog got through, which made the entire gym to go crazy once again _WHAT THE HELL?!_

Everyone ran desperately to the exit to avoid being stomped over by this dog. The three people standing on the podium were still there, the girls paralyzed in fright while the guy was trying pathetically to scare away the dog. This was my chance, Red Jacket was keeping the little buddy busy… well, the big buddy… So I now I could sneak up and snatch the bomb before it goes off. Let's do this!

I went to the podium by the wall, trying my best not to make any sudden movement that might attract the canine. Once I got there and the bag was in sight I smirked in victory. _Score!_ However, when I looked up to see the dog right in front of us… I realized that the girls were crawling back in fear… the bag was on their way. "Wait! If you go on you'll…!" It was too late. They both pressed the bomb's button at the same time with repeated beeps. _OH SHI-!_

* * *

 **Chisa Yukizome's P.O.V.**

 _How could this happen?! A bomb went off in the gym while the practical test was being held! This is terrible! Please! Please, let my students to be okay!_ I ran as fast as I could, heading to the gym while other teachers ran behind me. Once we arrived… I just couldn't believe what I saw… The entire gym was in ruins…! And just right in front of where the door should be was… Komaeda-kun?

"It didn't go just as I wanted… Well, everything always goes as I want…" He said to himself.

"Komaeda-kun!" He turned around to face me and greeted with one of his smiles.

"Hi… Yukizome-sensei"

"What happened here?! Did someone get hurt?! Are you okay?!" I kept asking. You can't blame me! Anyone would be worried in such situation.

"You don't need to worry about me, sensei. And everyone who once was here left running before the explosion so it should be fine…" He looked to his foot to see a dog cuddling on him "There you are little guy! You shouldn't go around licking on others drinks"

Suddenly, we heard some noises coming from the debris and saw three people standing up with difficulty "Didn't you say that everyone got out?" I asked Komaeda.

"Well, almost everyone" He corrected himself, given the circumstances.

A group of teachers assisted these students and brought them to the ambulance we called in advance. Before they left, one of the girls looked at me and panicked "P-Please! There's someone else there! You've got to help him!" There was someone else stuck in the debris?! I ran up to the center of the ruins and looked around, but I began to panic as I didn't see anyone else here! They can't be dead… right…?

A sudden groan not too far away made me run fast to the source. The person in question was stuck under a piece of concrete but it wasn't too heavy for me to push it aside. But once I got a good look at him… I felt my stomach turning… It was Blank-kun… and he was unconscious! "Blank-kun!" I yelled as I took him in my arms "Blank-kun! Please, wake up! You cannot leave yet! Please!" I begged, shaking him carefully. _No! No no no! This can't be happening…! You can't be dead!_ "Blank-kun! Blank-kun!" I shook him more violently this time. He just had to wake up! I can't let him die like this!

Two minutes later… and he wasn't moving an inch… Eventually, I stopped to shake him and just… held him tight… "Blank-kun…" I whispered as tears flowed down my cheeks… and I felt them being wiped away… I opened my eyes from the foreign touch and saw Blank-kun wiping my tears with his thumb, smiling! "Blank-kun!" I said relieved to see him alive.

"Heh…" He blurted weakly "I totally messed up, uh?" He said, trying to humor me even in such a terrible predicament.

"Why would you do something so imprudent?! You could have died!" I scolded him, not wanting to let him go.

"Well… A bomb was about to set off and you are asking me to stay away…?" He coughed "I'll say that you are right… but you are asking me too much… When someone is at risk… I just cannot help myself…" He smiled reassuringly. That determination again… that is what will always drive him, even if he can't control it… But I'm glad it's driving him in the right direction… "Besides…" He continued "I had to keep the promise I made to Nanami-san…" I smiled once again, he was definitely a kind soul… He will get far in life, I'm sure of it… "H-Hey, Yukizome-sensei… is everyone alright…? Did your students get hurt…?" He asked worried.

I shook my head reassuringly. "It's fine. Nobody was severely injured besides you apparently" He made another quick smile before his eyes began to close slowly.

"That's… good…" He said right before he drifted back into unconsciousness. I smiled pitifully once again, and… hugged him… I stayed like that for a couple of seconds before I watched him sleep for a last time and called up for a teacher to help me get him into an ambulance.

* * *

"Ah… Three students were expelled simultaneously…" Kizakura-san said disappointed… After the initial panic formed by the bomb was sorted out, I was appointed to meet up with my superior Koichi Kizakura and Principal Kirigiri to discuss this matter.

Principal Kirigiri was staring at the files of those students who got expelled… Andou Ruruka, Seiko Kimura and Sonosuke Izayoi… "The media is putting too much attention to the bomb… We have no choice than to give in and point the culprits…"

"Well, after an incident of this scale it was obvious that you should… Now, concerning Komaeda-san…" I looked up worried at the mention of my student… I know where this is going, but I just didn't want to hear it…

"He was a victim that got himself involved in the incident" Kirigiri-san said.

"But there are witnesses that say state he was the one who caused the incident. Many are asking for his expulsion" Kizakura-san refuted. I squeezed my hands, hearing them talking like this to one of my students… it's heartbreaking…

"I'm deeply sorry!" I blurted as I bowed in shame "This was the result of my negligence!"

"Even if he was the mastermind behind, we have to concede that he wasn't the one who administered the laxatives or activated the bomb" Kirigiri said, deep in thought "Even so, without active intervention, he got the results he wanted. A talent like that is too precious to let it go to waste" He thought for a bit before sighing up and saying "Nagito Komaeda will be suspended indefinitely. Koichi Kizakura, his main teacher, will be put to test to make sure he's still under the right faculties to teach" Kizakura-san hid his face under his hat in shame "and the assistant of the main teacher, Chisa Yukizome, will be transferred to the Reserve Course" There it is… That's what I… was looking for… In order to research that mysterious project, Kyosuke told me that I needed to get to the Reserve Course without raising suspicion… And… I made it…! But then… why do I feel so devastated…? "Will that work as a compromise?" Kirigiri-san asked.

"Yes sir…" I said without any energy left.

"And finally, the practical test will be postponed…"

"Luck could be terrifying…" Kizakura-san said, looking at Komaeda-kun's files.

* * *

 _So… Here I go… To the Reserve Course… From now on I'm sure I can make much more progresses… That is something I should be excited about… right? I'm doing this for Kyosuke… You can do this, Chisa…_

But I was just trying to lie to my own heart, I was really sad in actuality. I needed to distract myself, otherwise I will get emotional again… I picked up my phone and called Kyosuke to tell him the situation "Good news. I got transferred to the Reserve Course, as you requested me. This will make my investigation easier"

"Good news indeed, but you don't really sound happy about it" He noticed.

"I can hide nothing from you, right Kyosuke?" I tried to laugh… but I couldn't. "It's just that…" Those images repeated in mind. Once I came back from Principal's office I went to class to tell them the news as happy as I could… but they saw through my façade… Everyone's questions in confusion, Komaeda-kun's suspension, Sonia's tears… It was too heartbreaking to take in, but I stayed strong. I reassured them that it will just be for 6 months; that Komaeda-kun was just doing what he thought was the best for his classmates… and finally, I told Nanami-chan that I believed in her to keep the class together until I come back… as her duty of the class's representative… I will miss them so much… "…it's hard to say goodbye…" I felt a single tear drop down my cheek as I said this "It's funny… don't you think…? My job was to investigate this school… and yet I think I'm enjoying being a teacher too much…" I wiped out that tear with a handkerchief I was keeping in my pocket "I'm sorry! I'll make my best effort investigating… Bye…" I said as I hung up and looked at the building in front of me… _This would be the longest 6 months in my life…_

* * *

 **Néstor Blank's P.O.V.**

 _Ugh… This backache is gonna kill me…_

A couple of days have passed since the incident with the bomb. I stayed at the hospital in the meantime and I found out little bits of what was the situation at Hope's Peak Academy. Apparently, the three students that were on the podium when the bomb went off were expelled, considered to be responsible of the incident. Furthermore, another student got suspended to be considered the mastermind behind it and had gone missing. _Now that I think about it, Hajime is still missing in action. I just hope the little guy is alright… wherever he has gone to…_ That day was sure quite the rollercoaster, uh?

After a couple of days the doctors discharged me, saying that the damages weren't so bad, but they told me that I'll need to visit frequently to check up that I recover properly. I can't complain, but boy this pain in the back is terrible! I almost look like an old man without his cane! But hey, I'll survive this… I think… I hope…

Nevermind, today I came back to the academy, I can't let myself miss these important lessons, you know? I opened up the door to my classroom and… I just couldn't believe what I saw… There, standing in front of the blackboard was the last person I expected.

"Yu-Yukizome-sensei?!"

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **I know that a lot of people love him and all that, but I have to confess: Nagito drives me mad sometimes. I know that he's not that bad after all, but seriously he must have a fetish with hope or something.**


	5. You have Talent

**I don't really know why the chapters are getting longer and longer each new chapter. Is not on purpose, I promise.**

 **I'm afraid to say that this is a filler chapter, considering that I'm basing this on Danganronpa 3 Zetsubou Hen, but this is important filler, so I suggest you to read it nonetheless.**

 **Sorry in advance, hope you like it anyway!**

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 5: You have Talent**_

I simply stayed there wide eyed, not believing who I was seeing in front of me. I hadn't seen Chisa since the bombing incident and now she was just there, standing in front of the blackboard. "W-What are you doing here?!"

She seemed to brighten up when she saw me standing there, as if I were carrying a big present just for her "Oh! Blank-kun! Good morning!"

"G-Good morning!" I said politely "But seriously, what are you doing here?"

"Just take your seat for now, I'll explain!" She waved her hand and prompted me to go to my desk with a gentle push on my back. I was… utterly confused. Wasn't she supposed to… you know, teach in the Main Course? Why would she be here just when class is about to start? I simply sat down and waited for the bell to ring and the class to begin. In the meantime, I could notice the curious glances my classmates were giving, probably because they saw that I knew the new teacher.

Eventually, the bell rang and Chisa made a quick cough and a couple of claps to attract everyone's attention "Good morning everyone! My name is Chisa Yukizome and I will be your new sensei for the next months, I hope we can get along well and make our best efforts!" She said excited. But there was something… wrong. Even if she was acting like herself, happy and quirky, there was something on her face that told me otherwise… Could it just be my imagination…? I'll see if I can ask her about this later…

The rest of the class made a synchronized bow and welcoming to our new teacher, and soon enough she was taking up where our previous teacher left off. That day I tried to pay attention to her, I really did, but two things kept me from it. The first one, the most important reason, was her motive to be here, or rather, the circumstances that ended up with her here. _She… didn't get into trouble because of that bomb… right?_ I hoped to myself. The second reason was… quite personal, to be frank… I felt bad for being this selfish, but deep down, I was extremely happy to see her as my teacher. Ever since we talked that first time at the fountain I was deeply interested in her, what kind of person she is, what she likes, what she does in her spare time, how did she teach her students… You already know how this goes, when you are in love you begin to wonder these kinds of things about the person you like… Problem is… that she is now MY teacher, and she was barely older than me… Don't get me wrong, I am in the legal age so a relationship wouldn't be crime, the age gap between us is not that big either, and I don't really care about her being the older one… The problem was that we were student and teacher… and that is odd… Come on! You can't deny that this sounds like the script of a hentai, can you?!

"Blank-kun?" Her soft voice got me out of my trance. "Are you feeling okay?"

"A-Ah! Y-Yeah, I'm f-fine!" I blurted nervously.

"Geez, are you still asleep? Wake up, little sloth!" She said playfully.

"Y-Yes… Excuse me, sensei…" I said ashamed. Just like the class did once, they began to giggle and whispered between them… except that this time I WAS embarrassed… _Oh earth, please eat me up…_ I looked once again to her gorgeous eyes and sighed in defeat. _This would be the longest 6 months in my life…_

* * *

Hours later, the bell rang off once again, indicating the ending of today's classes. The other students were packing their things and getting out of class while Chisa was making the last comments of today. "Let's meet again tomorrow, and don't forget your homework!" She said in that motherly tone of hers "Oh, and Blank-kun, I'll need to talk to you for a second! We have to do something about your sleeping habits, young man!" Oh no… She seriously didn't say that… did she? I could swear that one of my classmates was suppressing a guffaw. _Ha ha, so funny._

Soon, we both were the only ones in the class. She went up to close the door, and I found myself gulping nervously. I obviously knew that she was just closing it to prevent the rest of the building to hear her scolding me and burying down my self-esteem… but I couldn't prevent my mind to run into more… wild thoughts… _What?! Wouldn't you do the same if you were in my place?!_ I saw her turning back and walking up to me. My heart ran hella fast as MORE thoughts came. _Damn it, you perverted mind of mine!_

"L-Look, I'm deeply sorry" I began, trying to distract myself from those thoughts "I'll make sure that it won't happen…" I stopped, seeing the confused expression on her face.

"What are you talking about?" Now I too was confused.

"Didn't you called me to… you know, scold me about not paying attention in class?"

"Forget about it, that was just a little excuse to talk to you in private!" _Is that so? Then what reason could she possibly have…? Oh no, NOT THESE THOUGHTS AGAIN!_ "I wanted to know how you were doing…" She said rather… sad there… _Oh? Oh! Does she mean my injuries?_

I smiled, seeing her ask so innocently and worried "It's okay. Doctors say that I should be just fine; just a couple of check-ups during the following months and I'm free to go. Though I bet this backache is gonna kill me one of these days!" I grunted, trying to humor her, but the only response I got was a sad smile and a lost gaze to the floor.

"I'm glad…" She almost whispered… Just as I thought, her mind was wandering somewhere else, and whatever it is, it's depressing…

"Hey" I looked down to her as I held her by the shoulders "Something is bothering you, and don't try to even deny it. What is it? Can I help you somehow?"

She looked up with that weak smile and simply responded "It's nothing really… It's just that… I miss my students…" Yeah, I guessed that it must have something to do with that… "After the explosion, the academy's principal transferred me here…"

"But why? It wasn't even your fault!"

"But one of the suspected people is one of my students, and as her teacher, I must bear the responsibility…" She concluded sadly, but firmly. I can't argue with her there, it sucked to be blamed for someone else's "mishaps" but I could only praise her sense of responsibility.

"Don't you worry about anything" I said, reassuring her "I know it hurts, and I'm sure that they feel just like you are right now. However, you said that this would only be for six months, right? I'm sure they will be waiting for you once you get back! So cheer up for me, okay?" So looked up to me shocked, my words seemed to have such a great impact on her "Besides, if there is something I can help you with or if you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me!" I winked at her and laughed nervously. She looked down to her toes which made me worried sick… Is she… going to cry…? No, that will be definitely heartbreaking, I will never stand that if it happens. I squeezed her closer to me and asked softly "Did I… do something wrong…?"

"No…" She looked up to me with her bright smile back, to my surprise "… it's just that I knew you would say something like this…" She said cheerfully once again, which made me blush madly… I let her some space and proceeded to pick up my things to go now. "Oh, and Blank-kun!"

"Y-Yes?"

"You can forget about homework, I'll make an exception with you!" She winked at me in complicity.

"Wha-? Why?!"

"I would like you to focus on finding your own talent" She said seriously. Now that I think about it, every time the topic of my possible talent comes up she is always like this… Like if she already knew what was it. Now was the time to ask her about this.

"Yukizome, tell me, why are you so confident that I have a talent to begin with…? Do you know something I don't?" But everything she did was rock back and forth in the spot while whistling. It was kind of amusing "Heh, you aren't telling me, am I right?" I smirked.

"Let's just say that I prefer you being the one to find out!" She said playfully once again.

"Oh you…" I rolled my eyes with a laugh "Okay then, see you tomorrow!"

"See ya!" She waved back at me.

* * *

And so, months passed as Chisa and I shared classroom, she as my teacher and I as her student. She did her best effort on covering the fact that I wasn't doing any of the projects or homework she assigned, while I practiced or researched about what kind of Ultimate I wanted to be. Of course, I convinced her to at least allow me to do the tests for myself. I didn't want to leave my scores on her and disappoint her later on. I would feel ashamed with myself, like if I failed even my own standards.

And I say that… because I'm not doing particularly good… For the past four months I've been trying everything I wrote down on my notebook back at the practical test, but… I got nothing…

I've tried everything: I told my mother I wanted to get lessons on piano, art, programming, photography, swimming… almost anything I could think of… But they either were harder than I thought at the beginning, they were not as entertaining as I thought or I simply weren't good at them… I really tried hard, there wasn't an afternoon I simply decided to give the matter a rest. There were days that I skipped classes or even tried to be self-taught and learn for myself! However, despite doing my best effort, nothing seemed to come to mind, and I couldn't understand it… But what troubled me the most… was how could I even look at Chisa in the eye anymore and tell her that after all this time couldn't make it…?

No, snap out of it Néstor! You can't give up hope now! Chisa knows that you do have a talent! If that's the case you just need to press a little further! We cannot give up yet!

"Good morning class!" Chisa said in her happy tone. When my eyes got sight of her, I was finally convinced. _It doesn't matter if I haven't found it yet! Even if it comes at the last moment, I'll definitely press forward until the bitter end! I'll do this for me… and for her…_ "Okay, let's begin shall we?" She asked as she turned to the black board.

Ah… Chisa Yukizome. Throughout this time we were in the same class, we have grown up fond for one another. At first, we just talked between classes recesses about school stuff, like to ask doubts on a specific subject or how I was doing with my own research. Then we began to talk about trivial things, like the weather, politics, students' romantic affairs or how bad the cafeteria food was. Eventually, we began to refer to each other, not as a student and a teacher, but as friends, and close ones to that matter. We told us private things about ourselves, like our early years, our hobbies, fears, musical taste or favorite movie genre. I can also remember two or three funny anecdotes from our middle school years that we shared. Those were really nice memories I made with her…

Oddly enough, she always seems really busy as of late. It was frequent that I would propose her if she wanted to hang out anywhere, but she refused saying that she had something important to do. At first I thought that she simply didn't want to hang out with me, but she really was busy. Every time I saw her wandering around the halls she would always be in a rush to get to somewhere fast while holding a file on her hands… _What is she up to…? It picks up my curiosity, I should try to ask her about this…_

And as you probably have guessed by now… all this time talking with her and earning her friendship helped me to sort out my thoughts about her. That mental self restrain I put on myself months ago seems to have vanished… Now that I know her in more detail and I earned her trust and friendship… the fact that she was still my teacher didn't seem to matter anymore… Every day I've spent with her made me fall in love more and more. I have seen the amazing person she is in class, she would always treat her students as her children, she would always find a way to help anyone in need and she is always willing to put aside her wellbeing for the sake of those she holds dear… I simply loved her and I didn't mind to repeat it to myself over and over. I wasn't embarrassed anymore, I felt… so happy and in high spirits when she is around… and that can never be wrong.

But alas, I'm afraid that feeling only applies to me… I heard how she talks about a guy named Kyosuke Munakata… the joyful shine in her eyes… reminds me of myself when I talk to her… and that hurts me… However, it wasn't my right to intervene: Aside from the fact that she could find a relationship with one of her students as something immoral, it was obvious that her heart belonged to another man… And as long as she is happy, then I can make an effort to smile at her and wish her the best of lucks… no matter how painful it is for me…

 _What is… this terrible sensation of déjà vu…?_

In the middle of the lesson, I would notice that she was taking quick glances at me just to avert her eyes right after. _Hmm, she must be thinking about something she wants to tell me. I'll make sure to ask her once the class ends._

Minutes later, the bell marked the end of the day with every student picking up their things and going home. Just like the first day, Chisa and I were the only ones in the room. She was reading intently one of those files she was clinging onto lately. Not wanting to give her a scare I talked from far before approaching to her. "Um… Yukizome-chan?" I said, making her look up to me. I tried not to startle her, but she looked nervous nonetheless.

"Y-Yeah, what can I help you with, Blank-kun…?"

"You seemed like you wanted to tell me something back there"

"Wh-What?!"

"I saw you avoiding my gaze during today's class. Is something I can do for you?"

She began to fiddle with her apron nervously, why was she embarrassed all of a sudden? "Well, I uh…" She stammered "I j-just wanted to know if you…" She looked up to face me, but seemed to be struggling with her words "If you… If you wanted to… go eat out with me" I just stood there speechless for a couple of seconds, a silence that made her feel uncomfortable. Then I began to laugh.

"That's it?! How could you struggle so much for such a thing?!" I couldn't stop laughing, which made her frown and pout in annoyance.

"D-Don't pick on me! It's just… that you wanted to hang out with me so much…" I lifted her chin slightly to make her look at me.

"It's okay. Of course I would love to go with you" I said, looking right into her eyes. A pink blush began to form on her cheeks… "But today is my treat!" I declared right there.

"Oh no, you won't! I'll treat you!" She said as she stood up with a defiant smile. Playing hard on me, uh? I'm game!

"No can do, m'lady. I cannot let you pay up for everything, you know?" I said playfully.

"Well, and I cannot let YOU pay up for everything" She followed in the same playful manner. This was amusing, but I'm not going to back down!

"I don't care, I will pay and that's it!" I smirked, crossing my arms. It was usual that we had this kind of semi-arguments and no one of us seemed to back down! She has proved to be a worthy opponent at stubbornness, but she has never won me! Thank you, thank you.

She laughed amused "Okay, let's just split the bill. Does that sound good?" Uh? That was… quick… She has never given up this easily before… No matter, probably it's just that she is not in the mood today. No biggie.

"Uh… Yeah, it sounds great to me!"

"Good! Shall we go?" She said while opening the class's door and motioned me to follow.

* * *

Half an hour later, we arrived at a restaurant that Chisa herself had recommended while she was driving. I didn't really know any restaurant in the area so I just accepted the offer and let her guide me. Once we were there I couldn't deny that I was impressed. This was quite the fancy restaurant! The floor and tables were polish clean, and don't let me even begin to imagine how the food would taste like…! …and how expensive this will be…

"Um… Did you even think about how much this will cost us?" I asked worried.

She just grinned in a 'happy-go-lucky' while saying "We'll just worry about that once it becomes a problem!" So… she decided to come here just like that? Without even thinking in the price? Okay, okay! That'll work… I think… not… Let's just hope that we indeed "go lucky" out of here.

Soon enough, we chose a table and picked up the menu. Just as I expected, everything here was worth a kidney on the black market, but nobody can deny that it looked appetizing. Fearing for my wallet, I just ordered up a main dish with a drink. No dessert, not fan of it. And then we have Chisa, who ordered two dishes, the drink and a chocolate cake, all smiling brightly to the waiter. I looked at her, my jaw dropped to the floor.

"Wh-What. Was. That?! You have never eaten this much before!" I yelled in shock. She simply looked at me with a naughty smile on her lips "You did this on purpose, did you?" I smiled evilly back at her.

She casually looked away innocently as if this hasn't anything to do with her "I don't know!" I chuckled internally, this girl knew how pull out a smile from me… _Yeah, the smile I will be having when we have a look at the receipt. Ha! That will surely be hilarious!_ I thought sarcastically to myself.

Once that was said and done, she picked up again that file she was reading back in class. Now that I saw it, I think I should try to inquire about it now "Yukizome-san, you have been reading that file of yours for quite a while now. Can I ask you what is it?"

She seemed to stiffen, looks like this is a pretty delicate matter "Uh, n-nothing really… It's just an exam of one of your classmates!" She tried to avoid answering.

"Well, that sure is an interesting exam if you have been reading so much time!" I said sarcastically, but she noticed that I wasn't buying it "Come on Yukizome, I'm your friend, you can tell me. Maybe I can help you with this and I promise you that I'll keep silent about it"

Chisa looked hesitant for a moment, until she gave up and sighed. She looked around to make sure no one would hear us and whispered "You need to keep quiet about this, okay?" I nodded "You see, the fact that I ended up being Class 77's teacher was not a coincidence. In fact, that's just a cover for an investigation I need to work in"

"An investigation?" I asked curiously.

"Kyosuke believes that Hope's Peak Academy is rotten to the core, and that they are working on a dreadful project… We still don't know what its nature is, but Kyosuke knows that it's not good…" _A dreadful project… Wait… Could she be talking about…?_

"Do you mean… the 'Kamukura Project'?" I asked almost instantly.

Chisa looked at me in disbelief, as if I just said something I shouldn't "Do you know something about it?" She asked with a firm but hopeful tone.

 _Wait… She doesn't know about it? Does this mean that the heads of the academy are keeping it for themselves? Just what is that project up to…?_ "W-Well…" I began "If I remember correctly, they were trying to find a volunteer for an experiment. They were trying to create a person with every talent known, something about being the Ultimate Hope of humanity… I really didn't like the sound of that… I don't really know much about it, but when my application for the academy was accepted, they sent a lot of information about that project by the name of 'Kamukura Project' with the mail… It was kind of… spooky to be frank"

Chisa's hands moved in a flash as she grabbed my wrists tightly. I looked up with surprise to see her looking at me straight. There was a spark of determination shining in her eyes. "Do you still have that mail?" I nodded confounded "Would it be possible for you to send it to me?"

"Y-Yeah, of course…"

She sat down again, as she calmed down "Sorry, it's just that I've been investigating fruitlessly this matter since I was transferred… To think that talking about it with you would give me more answers than my own investigation…" She giggled embarrassed.

"And what are you planning to do?" I asked, still curious about this top-secret related content.

She bit her nail in thought "I don't know… In light of these new facts I need to change the perspective of the investigation before I call Kyosuke and inform him. Once that is done I'll have to think about a way to stop that experiment" She sighed troubled before turning back to me with a smile "Thank you for your help, I really needed it"

"Are you sure you can do this? It sounds like you are going up against really dangerous people" I asked worried.

"It's alright, I'll take care of myself" She assured. I wasn't really convinced, but she could handle this matter better than I could so I reluctantly let the matter rest…

Minutes later, the waiter came back with our orders. Chisa and I gave thanks for the food, as customary, and began to eat. Just as I guessed, it tasted wonderful, so wonderful that I left bits in my mouth every time just to melt on its flavor. I glanced at Chisa to see her eating her food appropriately with knife and fork, quite polite manners. I focused again on my meal. Later on, I heard her calling to me.

"Um… Blank-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Would you…" She seemed to struggle in shame again "… want to share this dish with me…?" She said as she pointed at the second main dish she ordered.

"Oh really? Are you already stuffed, my friend?" I said in a mocking tone.

"Maybe I went too far…" She fiddled her apron as she smiled embarrassed.

"It's okay! I'll free you from your burden!" She placed the plate in question on the center of the table so we could both eat from it. She looked up to me as she asked "So… How is it? Was it good?"

"You betcha!" I exclaimed, which made her smile in relief "You really made a good choice bringing us here!" _Though maybe you could have chosen a cheaper place…_ My answer seemed to bring a bright spark to her eyes as she looked down to her empty plate. "I'm glad you liked it…" She almost whispered, as if she didn't want me to hear her. For the next few seconds she just… sat there, fiddling her apron and hiding her face down her bangs. After said seconds, she lifted up her glance at me as she softly asked "How are you doing… with your own self quest?"

"O-Oh! I, uh…" What do I do? I don't want to disappoint her. I can't let myself tell her that I have nothing after she has done so much for me… Then again, I don't want to lie to her either… "…not doing well, actually…" I said in defeat as I too looked down to my empty plate. I felt her hand caressing gently my cheek as it made me to look at her eyes, which were indirectly asking me 'what is wrong'. I told her the troubles I've experienced this past few months but reassured her that even so, I won't be giving up yet. She gently took my hand and looked at my eyes deeply.

"Can you show me?" She asked innocently. That question made my heart run wild and my cheeks turn red.

"What… What do you mean?" I returned the question in confusion.

"Can you take me to your place… and show me what you have done?" She asked this nervously. I could swear that I heard something funny in her tone… as if she was yearning for something. But that must be my imagination, that could never be true.

"S-Sure…" I answered just as nervous.

Chisa called the waiter, who brought up the expensive receipt. _I knew it…_ Then we got into her car and I told her the direction to get to my house.

* * *

"Coffee?" I asked the woman sitting on my bed with her hands on her lap while offering her a mug of steaming coffee.

"Yes, thank you!" She accepted joyfully.

We've arrived home not too long ago. Luckily, my mother wasn't around to wonder what I was doing bringing a girl home and embarrass me in front of Chisa. Even so, I insisted in making some coffee, she is my guest right now after all! Now she was sitting on my bed, drinking the freshly made coffee while I was setting up the entire mess I were doing for the past months. I played the piano a little, I made a quick sketch of her face, I told her to pose in order to take a couple of pictures, I tried to create a computer program… but nothing, I wasn't satisfied with anything I did.

And so, we spent the next few hours doing and repeating the same things. "Geez, nothing is working! Is that something I'm doing wrong?"

"Well, if you want my opinion, I wouldn't have made a better drawing than this!" She tried to reassure me while looking at her portrait.

"That's not the point… How can I even call any of these my talent if I cannot do the best?! What would be the point then?!" I asked frustrated to nobody in particular, as if I forgot that Chisa was there. I was so tired of it… I simply sat on the chair next to the desktop and held my forehead on my palms. "… I'm a mess, am I…?" I asked pitifully to my room companion. I heard her footsteps approaching to me and her hands to rest on my shoulders.

"Blank-kun… Look at me…" It took me a couple of seconds, but eventually, I complied. She cupped my cheeks with her hands "Do not forget what I told you once. As long as you have fun, there is nothing wrong about this…" I smiled apologetically, remembering those words as my own name "So I must to ask: Did you have fun?"

"I did…" I answered confidently.

"Then why are you so troubled?" She asked sweetly.

"Because… You have put so much faith in me… You have done so much for my sake to the point of even neglecting your own duties as my teacher… I want to repay that kindness, but if I can't even do just that…"

"Hey…" She interrupted me by putting her finger on my lips… Just like she did the first time we met… "The fact that I neglect my duties is my fault, and I'm willing to bear the responsibility and consequences. You don't need to worry for my sake" She smiled… but she couldn't hide it from me. I could see it in her eyes, somewhere deep down in her heart, she felt joy from the fact that I cared so much for her.

"What are you saying?" I asked "Are you really asking me not to care about your well-being? To leave you alone? Yukizome, I cannot do that…" I hugged her tight and caressed her cheek "You are very important to me… so don't you ever consider to tell me not to care about you again…" I said as I held her close.

She just couldn't believe what she just heard. She began to tear up a little as she returned the hug just as tight. I smiled, knowing that this time wasn't awkward… even if the true meaning of those words didn't reach her… I caressed her hair while she nuzzled on my shoulder, and we stayed like that for the next few minutes…

Eventually we let go of each other as she wiped her tears while sniffing "You know…" she began "I've never got the opportunity to thank you…"

"About what?" I asked curious.

"The day before the practical test… all my students were so depressed… they couldn't understand why those poor girls had to die… However, after the recess… Nanami-san came back, with an unexpected smile on her face… That was… encouraging… Her classmates were feeling so depressed and seeing her in such high-spirits all of a sudden… It was relieving… She made her best effort to cheer her friends up… I was so proud of her that day… And that is why she is the class's representative"

"Yeah… I remember that day…" I said as I smiled at the thought.

Chisa looked at me and smiled, as if she already knew everything "Nanami-san told me what you two talked about that day… You are really good at making the rest feel better, have you noticed that?" She praised me.

"Nah, it's not that awesome. It's just that… I hate seeing my friends in such pain… And then I have this sensation, like if I needed to do something to make them feel better… to let them know that no matter how nasty the problem was, I will be there to support them and help them until the end... You are just flattering me" I said modestly.

"No, Blank-kun. It is that awesome" She insisted "Remember, Nanami-san wasn't the only one you encouraged, is it?"

 _She wasn't? No, that's right… she wasn't…_ I began to recall all of the events since I applied to Hope's Peak Academy until now… Chiaki, Hajime… even Chisa has been under one of my "therapy sessions"… _Now that she mentions it… it's true… Every time someone I hold dear is feeling down I always talk with them and cheer them up. That sounds like what a_ _ **psychologist**_ _would do… And I am really good at that… Wait… Could it be that…?!_

"Do you think… this has something to do with my talent…?!" I asked in realization. She smiled satisfied, seeing that I was beginning to understand… "The **Ultimate Psychologist** student…" I whispered in pure shock… _All this time… I really had a hidden talent…_

I felt Chisa caressing my cheek "I knew you would find out…"

* * *

I spent the next two months studying everything I could need for a psychologist restlessly. I would also ask around the Reserve Course if someone were experiencing problems at home, had violent tendencies or were in a depression over a sad incident, and I got a few volunteers who wanted to try out my experimental therapy. The results I got were surprising even for me, everyone felt much more relieved and happy after letting them speak freely about their problems; they cried, yelled, cursed, broke up things… but in the end, EVERY single one who wanted to talk to me felt renewed. This served to confirm that I was indeed the Ultimate Psychologist, which made Chisa and I feel extremely proud of myself.

However, the six months have passed and it's time for Chisa to come back to the Main Course… I decided to look for her right before the class began, just to say goodbye and wish her luck… After all, I wouldn't be seeing her as often from now on…

To my surprise, we bumped into each other in the hallway. "There you are!" She said joyfully… _It looks like she was looking for me too, uh?_ She must be feeling just like I do… Having both of us growing so close to each other for the last months… to then be separated just like that… I'm sure that she also wants to say goodbye…

But my thoughts were interrupted when she took my wrist and pulled harshly while she ran as fast as she could "Quick! We'll be late to class!" _Wait, what?!_

"B-But my class is on the opposite direction! And did you just say "we"?! Weren't you coming back to the Main Course today?!" I yelled, trying to prevent myself from losing my balance and falling down.

"That's right! And you are coming with me!" She exclaimed excited.

"W-What?!"

"You said so yourself, right?! We both can agree that you are indeed the Ultimate Psychologist student! And as an Ultimate, you must attend the class in the Main Course!"

"Wouldn't that require a lot of paperwork for me to be transferred?! You can't just take me to the Main Course just like that!"

"Don't worry about it! I've already done that! You are officially one of my students! Now hurry up or we'll be late!" She said just as happily as she began.

 _I can't believe it… I'm going to the Main Course… as an Ultimate student…_ When I first came to Hope's Peak Academy I would have never dreamt of this to happen… I was content with my life just as it was, not wishing for more, not wishing for better… But now, I will attend the most prestigious academy in the country in the most important course… and I'm utterly excited about this…

And it's all thanks to her… Chisa Yukizome, she is the woman who made me to look forward, to want more, to risk everything in order to improve… I could never be grateful enough for this opportunity she has granted me…

And now… we are finally here… Hope's Peak Academy, Main Course, Class 77… "Are you ready to meet your new classmates?" Chisa asked expectantly.

To say the truth, I was in fact quite nervous to be in a class with people who are considered to be the beacons of hope. Those were big words to describe a bunch of students, and I still considered myself unworthy to be called a symbol of hope. I could feel my legs shaking and my heart running wild… but as Chisa once advised me, I will not going to let fear take over my life anymore! "I can't wait…" And with those words… she opened the door…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Okay… This took longer than I expected… It's scary to know that a filler chapter took longer than a 'based on the anime' one, don't you think? Sorry… again…**

 **Anyways, about time I could have the chance to meet up with Danganronpa 2 cast! Now we are back on track, and if I remember correctly, now was when things will begin to go downhill.**

 **PD: I appreciate follows and favorites, but what I actually would want to know is what you think of all this. So seriously, leave a review xD (only if you want to and feel like to of course, just wanted to point this out).**


	6. Ultimate Students

**This was going to be shorter at first, okay?! But things got out of hand again… and I had to split the original chapter in two… Sorry! We can consider this as a filler chapter too, cuz it's just me meeting the Ultimates… So you can skip this if it's too tedious to read. Sorry… again…**

 **Anyways, I decided to stick with the introductions in Danganronpa 2 since the introductions I wrote at first sucked. That's why I think this chapter can get a little tedious. But if you wanna read it anyway then I thank you and hope you enjoy.**

 **Anyway, on with the chapter!**

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked".**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 6: Ultimate Students**_

" _Welcome back, sensei!"_

The second we got into the classroom, Chisa and I were caught by surprise by a couple of confetti-launchers being shot at us. In front of us stood a bunch of students of my age grinning excitedly to the arrival of their old teacher. In the back of the classroom, I could also notice a grand table filled with lots of food, and they even took the trouble to write and draw a cute message just for Chisa. _They sure wanted her to come back this badly, uh?_

"Sensei!"

"Yukizome-sensei!"

"Chisa-sensei!"

They all yelled uncontrollably out of pure joy. I took quick glances to the Ultimates' faces, just to recognize only two people. One was my old acquaintance Chiaki who was really excited today, unlike those times when she, Hajime and I would play together in which she would seem so calm. But I guess it is to be expected, given the circumstances. The second person was Mahiru Koizumi, who I only knew by sight.

"It has been so long! Have you been well?" Mahiru asked the beloved teacher.

"Y-Yeah…" Chisa answered unsure. I giggled, knowing that this surprise got to her as much as it did to me, and considering that it's not for me I wonder how she is feeling right now, being the center of attention.

"Why are you blushing?" Asked a tanned girl munching on a chicken wing. "You have stomachache or somethin'?"

"Aren't you happy to come back with Ibuki?" Asked another girl with several colorful strands of hair "Was I the only one who wanted you back?!" She asked rather dramatically.

"N-No! It's just that… you guys were waiting for me today…" I saw Chisa beginning to tear up from happiness. I smiled at the sight, she truly had wonderful students…

"Nanami planned this party" A silver haired girl with glasses said as she looked at Chiaki proudly.

"Nanami-san, thank you!" Chisa's voice trembled a little there.

"I heard it from Kizakura-san…" Chiaki began "We really were excited for you to come back, so I just wanted to show you how much we appreciate you, sensei…"

"Don't be so modest!" The biggest and most robust guy on the room said "You kept us together through these months! As the Ultimate Team Manager student, I GRANT YOU MY SEAL OF APPROVAL!" He declared in such a powerful manner as he disheveled Chiaki in a friendly way.

"In short, Nanami coordinated tournaments, picnics and much more" The previous silver-haired girl said. "She has been so helpful"

"She worked on every little detail!" A blonde girl followed.

"Look sensei!" A pink haired guy came next, holding a short blond guy by the shoulder "Even Kuzuryu's here just as he should be!" _Kuzuryu? So he's Natsumi's brother…_ I thought to myself as I recalled the sad events, but I can't think on things like that in such a happy moment.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about…" Kuzuryu said embarrassed, not wanting to give out how he truly felt.

"Kuzuryu was reluctant at the beginning" An event shorter guy with a mini chef hat said "But he gave up after seeing how hard Nanami-san was working" He mocked the Ultimate Yakuza, as the latter stiffened nervously.

"Sh-Shut up!"

"Incredible!" Chisa said as she held Chiaki's hands in hers "You are incredible Nanami-san!"

"I-It wasn't anything…" Chiaki said in modesty "But now that we are here, might as well enjoy it, right?

"Nanami-san…" Now Chisa was truly crying "You guys… You are so…" The words seemed to choke in her throat as she fought the urge to cry out loud.

I got a good look at the image I front of me… Chisa, holding Chiaki's hands, both surrounded by the rest of the students, all of them smiling contentedly… It was such a magical moment I didn't want it to end… I was so stunned that I didn't realize that they completely weren't acknowledging my presence.

"Ah, Blank-kun!" Chiaki finally noticed, giving me a mixed look between joy and surprise. She surely wasn't expecting me here, and by the looks of the rest, nobody did actually. Furthermore, now that all gazes were directed at me, I felt myself gulping. This was supposed to be the emotional reunion between teacher and students and I was just standing there, filling the scene undeservedly.

Chisa was the one who had to step out to take my wrist and pull me gently to the rest. "Guys, I want you to meet Néstor Blank. He is from the Reserve Course" I heard everyone whispering with each other, which made me sweat with worry.

"The Reserve Course?"

"Shouldn't he be in class then?"

"Why would a mere mortal be here?"

"Did he want to eat too?!"

"Now now!" Chisa made them to listen "I met him long before I got transferred and I got to meet him while I was teaching in the Reserve Course" She began to tell "That's when I realized that he had a potential to be an Ultimate, and he has proven that he is indeed worthy to be an Ultimate student! I personally recruited him!" She made this look like a political speech… or as if she was trying to sell me…

Now everyone was looking at me expectantly… but that didn't make this situation less embarrassing… "So what is your talent?" The blonde girl from before asked curiously.

Being a bit baffled, I looked at Chisa for guidance. I could see an excited 'g ahead' on her eyes, which made me inhale to brace myself "U-Um… Ultimate Psychologist student… apparently…" I looked over Chisa again to receive a nod of approval from her.

"A psychologist? So he works with crazy people, right?"

"I don't think it works like that…"

"He must be a good listener!"

"U-Um…! Sensei…!" A purpled-haired girl in the back shyly called out "D-Does this mean… that he will be o-our classmate from now on…?"

"Indeed, Tsumiki-san! Blank-kun is from this point on your classmate, so you better greet him properly!" She pushed me a little to face them directly and cueing me to introduce myself as it should be.

"U-Um…" I hesitated for a second, until I coughed to snap myself out of it. This people were students just like me, and I was about to share the rest of my school life with them. Better make a good first impression! "I'm Néstor Blank, and I will be pleasured to be friends with you all! Nice to meet you!" I concluded with a bow, pretty audacious for me actually… maybe I was about to make a fool of myself…

But the response I got was a synchronized 'Nice to meet you!" from everyone, which got me dumbfounded and smiling stupidly.

"A new classmate! This should be fun!"

"He's kinda cute, don't ya think?"

"That bow looked funny though…"

"Don't be like that, he's a foreigner!" _There we go again…_ I rolled my eyes as I chuckled. _Well, they seem pretty eager to know me…_

At that moment, the door opened to reveal another blonde girl wearing a kimono "Ah, sensei! Welcome!"

"Are you… Saionji-san's sister…?" Chisa asked confused.

"No silly! It's me!" The girl said proudly. Chisa was simply looking at her I disbelief.

"She grew up quite fast…" Mahiru said nervously.

"Now I can bend Tsumiki's body in weird ways!" The girl asserted in a rather joyful tone for such a sadistic thought as the purple-haired girl shivered in anticipation.

"I see that you haven't changed a bit…" Chisa pointed.

"In any case, now that our mentor as returned, it is time for the Dark Sabbath! With a toast to the Lords of the Nine Rings of Hell… let our dark feast begin!" The blonde girl from before besides a sinister looking guy said in sync. _What was that all about…?_ I chuckled to myself.

"Here, sensei. You too, Blank-kun" Chiaki said as she offered Chisa and I a plastic cup of soft drink. "Now, once again!" She cued the rest to follow her.

" _Welcome back, sensei!"_

"I came back!" Chisa said with tears of joy. I smiled, moved by this fair share of emotion in such short amount of time…

* * *

As it was expected, Chisa cancelled today's classes so we could enjoy her 'come-back' party as it should be. My new classmates were kind enough to let me fully participate, even though we have just only met… In fact, thanks to these circumstances I decided to take the opportunity to meet them in person one by one. With Chiaki's guidance, we went around the classroom to meet up with everyone personally.

"Are you ready to go?" Chiaki asked as if we were to begin a thrilling adventure. I, on the other hand, was having second thoughts about this as the nervousness from before came back.

"Uh… Not really…?" I grinned in embarrassment.

"Well, too late" Chiaki said as she pulled my hand to the nearest person.

* * *

The short blond guy, Natsumi's brother… He was looking to the window, trying to keep himself away from all the excitement.

"Kuzuryu-san" Chiaki called up, making the boy turn around with a disgusted look on his face. He looked up to me rudely.

"The Reserve Course, uh? Don't act so mighty and friendly just because you are here, dumbass" _Wow, talk about stepping on the wrong foot…_ "What're you lookin' at?! You got something you wanna say, bastard?!" He suddenly yelled out loud. Luckily, 'colorful strands' music was loud enough to prevent them to hear him.

"Kuzuryu-san, calm down! He just wants to introduce himself! He's our new classmate, you should show more respect!" Chiaki said assertive.

"Introduce himself?"

"He hasn't introduced properly face to face, right?" She asked as she looked at me, I nodded in response. He seemed to think about it for a second before sighing in defeat.

"Tsk… Name's Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu… Just so we're clear, I wasn't planning on acting all friendly with you guys, so don't expect much more for you" He said as he pointed at me.

 **Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu: Ultimate Yakuza**

"Kuzuryu here is the heir of the Kuzuryu's clan" Chiaki began to explain.

"Yeah, I heard that once" I told her. She leaned to my ear to whisper.

"By the way… Don't mention his babyface in front of him, he can get quite… dangerous if it happens" I gulped at the thought.

"I'll take note of that…" I said nervously.

"If we're all done here, how 'bout you dumbass make like a tree and fuck off?" He blurted rather annoyed. Well… If that's how you want to play, then I'll play…

"Néstor Blank. Ultimate Psychologist student. It has been a pleasure. Have a good day" I let out bluntly as he 'hmph'ed. Chiaki decided that it was enough for Fuyuhiko and moved on to the next student.

* * *

"State your business" The silver haired girl said without even letting us speak. And she was facing the other way around! How did she notice us?!

"Uh… I just wanted to introduce myself…" I said sheepishly.

"An introduction?" The girl asked in confusion.

"He wants to meet up with everyone more personally" Chiaki explained.

The silver haired girl thought about it until she said "Understood, I don't mind"

Seeing her agreeing to this, I decided to give the first step "Néstor Blank, nice to meet you!"

"My name is Peko Pekoyama. Nice to meet you too"

 **Peko Pekoyama: Ultimate Swordswoman**

"It is hard to believe that someone with a cute name would wield a sword, don't you think?" Chiaki giggled from behind. "In fact, she is a kendo master. Most adult men wouldn't even stand a chance against her" That last statement made me shiver as I looked at the long wooden sword Peko was carrying on her back… _And she has an intense glare, I'll give her that…_ I thought as I stared at her red irises.

"So, our sensei brought you from the Reserve Course, right?" She asked in a serious tone.

"Y-Yes… That is correct…" _What's up with her? There is something in her demeanor that freezes me in the place…_

"Being recruited as the Ultimate Psychologist. It sure sounds interesting" She closed her eyes and thought about it before opening them again and adding "I welcome you to this class"

"T-The pleasure is mine…" I bowed my head slightly in respect as she came back to her business.

* * *

"Yo! You are that dude from the Reserve Course, amirite?" The tanned girl said, munching on a chicken wing once again.

"Hi! It's nice to meet you, I'm Néstor Blank!"

"Gotcha!" She said in excitement as she finished the rest of the chicken wing in a single bite. She swallowed it up and stood up to face me in the eye "The name's Akane Owari, nice to meetcha!"

 **Akane Owari: Ultimate Gymnast**

"Owari-san is an all-around super athlete" Chiaki said "Rumor says that she is a wild troublemaker, which are true" Chiaki looked at Akane, who scratched the back of her head grinning widely "But her athletic ability is off the charts"

"Yup!" Akane said proudly "But I don't move from the basics, I'll just improvise whatever I feel like!" _So… she simply improvises her trainings? That'll work, I guess…_

"Gotta come back to dig these chickens! See ya around, Black-san!"

"It's 'Blank'!" I corrected smiling after waving my hand to her and heading for the next student.

* * *

"Look who we have here! If it isn't our newcomer to the class!" The big guy from before put a hand across my shoulders in a friendly manner… though his grip was a bit constricting…

"E-Excuse me… I can't breathe…!" I desperately gasped for air until he realized and left me in the ground.

"Sorry little friend!"

"It's alright! Could I get your name please?" I asked politely.

"Me? I'm the Ultimate Team Manager student, NEKOMARU NIDAI!" He yelled powerfully.

 **Nekomaru Nidai: Ultimate Team Manager**

"G-Good!" I said a little taken aback by the sudden outburst. "Well you already know me but I'm-"

"Your voice is too soft!" He yelled again. "C'mon! Let your voice rise from the bottom of your stomach!" _Wait… Does he seriously want me to yell…? He sure lives up for being a Team Manager uh?_

"Um… I'm Néstor Blank!"

"Noooo! You can be louder than that! Do it again!"

"I'm Néstor Blank, Ultimate Psychologist student!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"Ha ha ha! That's what I wanted to hear!" Nekomaru said proudly.

"So a team manager?" I asked as I turned to Chiaki "So he's not on a team? He just manages them?"

"Not just that" Chiaki pointed out "He's traveled to numerous towns and played an active role in various sports clubs managing their team. For example, he led some high school rugby team full of delinquents to victory in the national play-offs. He also rescued a baseball club on the verge of being shutdown, and led them to national victory as well" I wasn't really a sports lover, but even I could understand what this would have entailed! _But I don't know. With a build like his, he would do better playing in a team instead of managing it, right?_

* * *

"Hey you three, am I being left off the menu?" A voice came from behind just as we finished talking with Nekomaru. It was the short guy with the mini chef hat.

"N-No! Of course not!" I tried to reassure him.

"Hanamura-san, this is our new classmate, Néstor Blank, Ultimate Psychologist student" Chiaki made the introduction for me.

"Yeah, I've heard his little speech back there. The Reserve Course, uh? That's interesting" He said in a weird seductive tone that my mind begged me not to indulge. Instead, I tried to think about something else.

"H-Hey, did you made all these?" I said as I pointed towards the tables full of food.

"Indeed, how did you know?"

I crossed my arms cocky "I guessed" _And it was totally not thanks to your hat. Nope, not at all._

"And you guessed right, my dear new friend. I'm Teruteru Hanamura. On the streets I'm known as the Ultimate Cook… But could you call me the Ultimate Chef instead? It has more of a… big-city flavor to it, ya know?" He asked.

 **Teruteru Hanamura: Ultimate Cook**

"Sure!" I accepted his request.

"By the way, Blank-san… Could I speak to you in private?" He said while I looked at Chiaki and shrugged. I came near him so Chiaki wouldn't hear us. _I've got a bad feeling about this…_

"I want you to answer me real serious here. I have a sneaking suspicion that Pekoyama-san is actually a bit of a freak, if you catch my meaning…" He said this in that spine-crawling tone. I looked over Peko, wondering about what Teruteru was talking about. "What do you think?"

"… about what?" I asked uncertain.

"She's probably wearing a black thong, too. What are your thoughts on that?" He said as a quick drop of blood began to flow down his nose "Would you like to discuss this more privately?" Again with the damn tone!

"No, thanks" I plainly said as I made my back to Chiaki. She looked at me with a smile that led me to think that she knew what was that all about. "Please don't tell me he does this on a regular basis" I almost begged her. She didn't answer, and yet her smile was everything I needed to groan out loud.

* * *

"Stop right there. If you value your life don't come any closer" The sinister looking guy from before said in a somewhat threatening position.

"Uh?" I said in confusion.

"I said stay back! Oh, very well… I shall accept that courage of yours" _What is he talking about…?_ "Khehehe… Would you like to know my name?" He somberly said "Others may see your courage as recklessness… However, I welcome it. In honor of your courage, I shall reveal to you my name. May you never forget it as long as you live!" _Okay… I knew from the moment he began to talk about that Sabbath thingy that he could be a little nuts up there… But this gets the cake…_ "You may call me Gundham Tanaka! Remember it well, for it is the name that will one day rule the world!"

 **Gundham Tanaka: Ultimate Breeder**

 _Ultimate Breeder? Then what was all that stuff he has been talking about?!_ "Now then, it my turn to ask questions" He continued "Whose master are you?"

"… uh?"

"Which tribe did you make your pact with?! Answer me!" He asked rather violently…

"'Tribe'…? 'Pact'…?"

"Answer me now! Though I shall cast you into a watery grave once you do!"

"W-W-What?! Then it's best for me not answer!"

"He's asking if you have a pet" Chiaki interrupted calmly.

"A pet?" I asked dumbfounded. _How was I supposed to know that he was talking about pets?!_ "No, I don't. My mother isn't quite fond with the idea"

"So, a mere insect!" Gundham said in shock "Ha! You completely lack in Magic Essence, trash!"

"Trash…? Really…?" _So first I am a dumbass, then a bastard, and now trash… I sure was making such a great first impression…_

"Is it wrong to call trash 'trash'? Trash like you should not dare to speak to one as grand as me! Who do you think I am? I am the great and powerful Gundham Tanaka, Supreme Overlord of Ice!" _…and? Wait, did something move in his scarf?_

"What is that?" I asked as four hamsters came out of his scarf and rested on his shoulders and arms.

"Taming the evil by using myself as a bed… Truly, this is the secret art of the Tanaka Empire!"

Chiaki decided to get me out of the confusion "Tanaka-san here is what you could find on a nature show, that's why he's called the Ultimate Breeder" _So… all that stuff is just for show? 'Cause I seriously doubt that. "_ I know he seems a little odd, but he makes a splendid job when it comes to animals" Chiaki continued "He can tame any animal, and he also managed to succeed at proliferating an endangered species. They say that he can speak to animals, but I think it's a lie" _Wouldn't surprise me. Only someone as eccentric as him would dare to raise hamsters in his scarf._

* * *

"Hello, nice to meet you!"

Well, this was a surprise. Just when I was done with Gundham, the blonde girl from before came back to me to salute by herself? She sure was an observant one!

"H-Hi…! I'm Néstor Blank! Though you knew that already right…?" I said in embarrassment. She seemed to giggle at the mistake nonetheless. And wow… I just can't tear my eyes away from her… Blonde hair, white porcelain skin, blue eyes… She sure didn't look like a Japanese girl at all. _What could this be so charming about her…?_

"It can't be helped" Chiaki said from behind as if she has just read my mind "After all, she is the Ultimate Princess student" _A princess? I guess that explains why her presence feels so graceful and enchanting._

"I'm a foreign exchange student from a small European kingdom called Novoselic" The blonde stated happily "And where are you from?" She asked with very noticeable curiosity. _So she's the type of person interested in exotic things… I guess that's why she came to Japan._

"Not exactly anywhere interesting. I came from the U.S a couple of years ago and…" She interrupted me with another question, and another, each and every one of them about my country's culture or traditions. She sure was interested in the matter, uh? We were at it for 3 or 4 minutes until she said "O-Oh…! I didn't notice that I have not introduced myself properly! I am terribly sorry!" She bowed as a gesture of apology.

"I-It's okay…" I said, nervous of the fact that a princess was bowing just for me…

"My name is Sonia Nevermind…"

 **Sonia Nevermind: Ultimate Princess**

"… Excuse me… It's just that I've never met someone foreigner aside from me. I think I got overexcited…" She said in shame.

"It's okay! It's totally reasonable, so don't worry about it! In fact, if you have anything else you want to ask we can talk later, okay?" I asked as she nodded in excitement and got up to meet up the next student.

* * *

"Ugh… I'll never get her like this…"

I saw the pink haired guy from before in the corner, looking directly at Gundham and Sonia. Guessing what this was about I approached him, telling Chiaki that I will be back with her in a minute. "Hi there! I greeted openly. He looked at me confused for a second.

"Oh! H-Hi! You are the new guy, right? Néstor Blank, was it?"

"Correct" I nodded.

"So Ultimate Psychologist student… You don't know how useful that would be for me right now…" He said, looking at the previous pair with sadness. "Ugh, where are my manners? Kazuichi Souda, Ultimate Mechanic student!"

 **Kazuichi Souda: Ultimate Mechanic**

I took a sit next to him and looked at Sonia "You have a crush on her, right?" I asked, which was answered by a simple nod. "And you are jealous that she is always around Gundham, right?" He nodded again.

"I understand how you feel…" And I really did… because I myself was living the same experience as he did… And when stuff like this happens, people like us have to stick together "I know it hurts, but if it makes you feel better you can always come with me and rant about this as much as you like"

He was shocked to hear this as he turned around and face me "R-Really?!"

"Hey, I'm a good listener! I'm sure you can relieve yourself yelling or crying at me. I'm not called the Ultimate Psychologist just for show, I suppose" Kazuichi hugged me tightly as he cried like a baby.

"Thank youuuu" He sniffed.

"It's okay dude! That's what friendzoned bros are for!" I said as I tried to get him to release my shirt.

* * *

The girl with the colorful strands had put aside her guitar for a moment to grab something to eat on the table, a chance Chiaki and I took to talk to her directly. She saw us coming and saluted joyful "Oh haaaaai! You're the new guy, right?"

"Hi! Though I have already introduced myself but I wanted to meet up with everyone!" I explained.

"Ah, that's right! Introductions are a go-go!" She exclaimed excited "'I', 'Buki', 'Mio', 'Da'! Put it together and what do you get? Ibuki Mioda!"

 **Ibuki Mioda: Ultimate Musician**

"All right, introductions are finished! More importantly, did you check out my bombastic performance?!" She asked, still as excited as before.

"I did! You did a great use of that guitar back there! No wonder why they would call you the Ultimate Musician!"

"I always get excited when I perform! And when I'm excited, I get hungry-mungry! I don't get it myself, why do I get hungry when I'm excited? Why do I get excited when I'm hungry?" _That sure sounds like a never-ending cycle, and I'm not sure why it doesn't surprise me coming from her…_

Chiaki once again decided to tell me some back-story "Mioda-san used to play guitar in an all-girl band that was very popular with other high school girls. Their hit single, 'After School Poyoyon Hour', sold over a million copies"

"Wait, I've listened to that once! Were you that incredible guitar I couldn't stop listening to?!" I asked Ibuki in excitement, who responded with a sufficient big smile.

"Due to creative differences, she left the band to pursue a solo career" Chiaki continued.

"Creative differences?" _It would make sense. Ibuki's music style sounds like rock, something you wouldn't expect in a band of girls for girls…_

"Ohh! Are you interested?!" Ibuki almost yelled right beside me.

"Y-You heard me? That's some great hearing you got there!"

"I'm a musician after all! Like Schubert, Bach, Edison, Van Gogh, Perez and Senna… I, too, am an awesome musician!" _But… Most of those people weren't musicians at all…_

* * *

I saw Mahiru coming in our way to speak with us herself, just like Sonia did before. "Hey, I remember you! You were the one who protected Sato and I way back when, right?"

 _She remembers! That's great!_ "The one and only! I'm… sorry for your loss…" I said with sadness. I remembered Sato's death months ago and deduced that Mahiru would have felt devastated, being her best friend…

"It's okay" She reassured "Now, put yourself together. At times like those it's the boys' jobs to comfort the girls" She asserted. _Um… Wouldn't that be… you know, kind of chauvinist from me…?_ "Sorry, I guess I haven't introduced myself, right?" She realized. "I'm Mahiru Koizumi. I'll be counting on you from now on"

 **Mahiru Koizumi: Ultimate Photographer**

"Mahiru is known as the Ultimate Photographer student. She has a promising future as a journalist" Chiaki explained. _Well… I think it's obvious, seeing the camera hanging from her side._ "She has already won several awards on photography. As such, she's known for her skill at taking pictures of people" _So she specializes on pictures of people… Interesting…_ I thought as I scratched my chin.

"Honestly, I'm a little relieved, you seem decent enough" She said, referring to me. "Unlike a certain one that comes to my mind" She said as she glared daggers at Teruteru. Yeah… I can relate to that thought…

"Well… though I have said this before, I'm Néstor Blank, Ultimate Psychologist student. It will be a pleasure to study with you all from now on" I repeated. _Geez, this can get tiresome after some time…_

"So a psychologist? I'm sure you are good at listening to people and helping them with their problems, right?"

"Yes! Well, I think I do"

She looked at me thoroughly before adding "Yes, I think I like you around. I'm expecting big things from you, so man up and do your best, got it?"

"Y-Yes ma'am…" _Why do I get this feeling as if I have just been put to the test…?_

* * *

Throughout the party I could notice that the girl in a kimono has been picking on the purple haired girl, who only backs away in fear… It's very sad scene to look at. I decided to approach the blonde to see why was she acting like this.

"Hey, what's the deal?" I asked in annoyance.

"Hmmm? Oh, you are the new guy!" She said, ignoring what I just asked "I'm Hiyoko Saionji!"

 **Hiyoko Saionji: Ultimate Traditional Dancer**

"As a rookie, the Japanese dance industry expects a lot from her" Chiaki said as a matter of fact. I could feel that she was growing bored of all this as well… "She's already performed overseas may times, and her performances are very popular among young audiences, which is rare in the Japanese industry… Then again, her fans are mostly men" Chiaki finished. _That's… disturbing._

"Anyway" I said, trying to get the conversation back on track "Why are you so mean with that girl?"

"'Cuz it's fun!" _Wha-?_ "I love seeing that bitch squeaking and trembling, it's hilarious!" I looked over the poor girl shivering in the corner and felt an immense pity… "Wanna do it together?!" She asked too excited.

"No" I said sternly.

"Hmph, you wuss…" She whispered loud enough for me to listen. _What's up with this girl? Why would she find bullying the rest funny? I don't think I like her attitude at all…_ I decided it was best to go to the poor girl in the corner than listening to Hiyoko.

"Saionji-san, you shouldn't be so mean, especially with Tsumiki-san" Chiaki scolded her "You know perfectly how sensitive she is, and that is not going to make a good first impression for Blank-kun" But Hiyoko didn't care, she just turned happily to insult Kazuichi.

* * *

I approached the poor girl, who stiffened and looked at me intently. I felt nervous all of a sudden, as if she could break if I spoke too loud. "Um… hi! Are you okay?" I tried to get her to talk.

She looked confused for a second before she spoke up "Ah, uhhh, um… I…" It looks like she was struggling to talk, which led her to tear up a little "I-I'm sorry…" _Why is she crying all of a sudden?!_

"H-Hey… What's wrong? Can I help you in any way?" I asked worried, my kind nature kicking in at that moment more than ever.

She seemed to calm down slightly as her sobs subsided "Um… y-you said your name was… N-Néstor Blank, is it? I-If it's okay with you, may I please remember your name…?" _Is she really asking me if she can remember who I am? What kind of question is that?_

"S-Sure, you can. Why would I forbid you for that?" I asked confused, but I could swear that her eyes shone hopefully as I allowed her to refer to me. But why would she be so happy about something so trivial and natural? "Anyways, what is your name?" I asked softly to try to appease her.

She looked hesitant for a moment before shyly saying "M-My name is Mikan Tsumiki… From the bottom of my heart, I hope we can get along…"

 **Mikan Tsumiki: Ultimate Nurse**

"I hope so too! It's a pleasure, Tsumiki-san!" I said with excitement.

"You know… uh… um…" It looks like she's still struggling to talk "Uhh… My mind is drawing a blank… from nervousness…" She said as tears formed once again. _Poor thing… She must be an unsecure person… I must take things slow with her, I'll be patient._ "And… I went through the trouble of preparing 5000 different topics to discuss after introductions!" _Those are WAY too may topics…_ When she wiped her tears, I could notice that her left arm and right leg were completely wrapped in bandages, and her hair was poorly cut, leading me to believe that she probably cuts it herself. This only served to strengthen my sad frown and to soften my voice more.

"It's okay. I too get nervous when I have to introduce to someone I don't know…" I said while I smiled to her. She looked stunned, seeing my understanding and acceptance.

I could feel Chiaki patting my shoulder and smiling. "Tsumiki-san here is the best nurse you could find. No matter, what kind of disease or injure you might have, she will always treat and cure it"

"Wow, that sure sounds impressive!" I said astonished. I heard Mikan laughing slightly at my praise, which made me smile in response, seeing that she has calmed down.

"Ah! I'm sorry for laughing so suddenly!" I spoke too soon… "I-It's just… I can't help it…" She was in the verge of tears again "Y-You are new in class a-and I always get excited when I-I can make a new friend… Ah! N-Not that you actually want to be friends with me! I'm so sorry I said something so presumptuous!"

"H-Hey! What are you saying…?! Of course I would like to-!"

"I-I'll do anything you say… Y-You can beat me up, draw on me, strip me, make me do an impression of a pig… Just please… p-please don't hate me…!" This girl is messed up…

I gently took her by the shoulders as I gently spoke "Hey, I will never hate you, and I will never do any of those things you mentioned. And of course I'll like to be your friend! We can talk together after classes if you like, does that sound good!"

She nodded slowly, not believing what she has just heard. I petted her head gently and smiled.

* * *

"He's the only one left" Chiaki said as she pointed to the chubby guy sitting by himself in the back of the classroom. I nodded and told her that I could handle myself with him. She then went to enjoy the party with the rest as I approached the last unknown student.

"Oh… H-Hi" He said shyly.

"Hello there!" I waved my hand happily.

"I've seen you talking to everyone. Looks I'm the only one left, uh?"

"Well, I gotta meet up with the people I will be studying with, don't you think?" I asked him with a cheeky grin "Anyway, Néstor Blank. Nice to meet you!"

"Ryouta Mitarai. The pleasure is mine" He answered.

 **Ryouta Mitarai: Ultimate Animator**

"So… the Ultimate Psychologist student, that sounds promising enough. Have you thought about any experiment you would like to try?" He asked curious.

"Not really…" I scratched the back of my neck nervously "For now I'm only listening to others troubles to try to make them feel better… But who knows? Maybe in the future I come up with a psychological question that requires an experiment to prove it. It's something that I can think about" I said as I scratched my chin and thought in the possibility, it was appealing enough. "What about you?" I asked him just as curious.

"There is not much to know for me… I just spend my days at home creating an anime that brings hope to people…" He said as if it wasn't that important.

"An anime?! Oh I love those! You gotta show it to me once you finish it!" I said maybe a little too excited.

"R-Right…" He giggled nervously.

* * *

And then, after so many hours enjoying our time together, it was time to come back home. If I say so myself, I think I have a good grasp on everyone's personalities, at least at first sight. Let's see how my relationship with them develops throughout the rest of the school year…

Chisa herself said that we shouldn't bother on cleaning the class that day, we would clean everything up first thing as a tomorrow's group activity, and everyone seemed to agree to that notion. I still remember the last conversation I had with Chisa right before I left to go home.

"So… How was your first day with your new classmates?" She asked curious.

"It was alright, I think. I always thought that the Ultimates would be self-centered and self-confident people. But your class is… different, to put it simply" I conceded "They are quite the group, to be frank. Some were joyful, some were awkward, some were rude and some were even weird mixes"

"Did you have fun with them?"

"Well… I cannot say that I liked every one of them, and I can tell that some don't like me either. But I think that we can all sort something out given the right time. If I had to give an overall opinion about them or today's party… I think I'll say that I had fun" I said.

Chisa smiled fully as she softly said "I'm glad to her that…"

"Did YOU have fun, by the way? This was a party for you after all!"

"I did!" Chisa admitted happily "You have no idea how glad I felt knowing that I was able to come with my precious students once again… It was good to see that they haven't changed one bit since I left… But the most thing I treasure the most is seeing you interact with them, talking with them freely and trying to be his friend…" Chisa said touched. It was heartwarming to see her so satisfied, which made me to smile a little stupidly. "In any case, I hope you can get along with everyone from now on. And now, time to go home! See ya tomorrow!" She said waving her hand to me as she turned around.

I waved my hand back at her, lost in my thoughts. _So this is it… I'm officially an Ultimate student… I'm glad it has come to this…_ I sighed, remembering my poor lost friend. _If only Hajime was here…_

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Yeah, this got longer than I thought… I promise the next chapter gets more interesting. And yes, my guide is Chiaki because Nagito is currently MIA, you know?**

 **Leave a review if you liked it and see ya next chapter!**


	7. The Stain

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 7: The Stain**_

 **Chisa Yukizome's P.O.V.**

Several weeks had passed since I came back from the Reserve Course and everything has been great ever since. It was good to feel that same excitement I always had when I teach my students, or when they talk to each other as if they have known for a long time… It was good to see that everything was exactly the same as before… Well… not exactly the same… I've been watching Blank-kun adapting to his new surroundings and companions, and as I expected, he's doing just fine by himself.

It is good to see him talking with Sonia-san about their home countries restlessly, watching pictures that Koizumi-san took and praising her skill, listening to Souda-san's complaints about Sonia-san not noticing him, talking with Tsumiki-san to get her more comfortable around him… Although, Saionji-san still tries pointlessly to get on his nerves, and Kuzuryu-san still acts hostile towards him. Regardless, he has done a great job at growing fond with everyone… and he looks much happier than when he was in the Reserve Course... alone and quiet…

This change on him is… incredible… It makes my heart melt with happiness… Seeing him smile each and every day… Participating excitedly in every activity that is proposed… Listening and advising his classmates whenever they have a problem, making use of his talent… It's just so satisfying…

"Well… Look who we've got here" I heard a voice from behind.

"Oh! Sakakura-san! Good evening!"

"I see that you are in good spirits. Is there something happening?"

"Don't you remember?! Tomorrow we will be having the entrance ceremony for the new students! Don't you find it exciting?!" I couldn't help myself from jumping in joy. Having new students around the academy was always something I get excited about!

"Not really… There are just another bunch of troublesome kids running around. Have you forgotten what happened several months ago? When our entire gym was blown up to pieces in the practical test?" He said annoyed.

"Of course I remember, but we can't put the blame on all the students just for that. You've gotta enjoy life a little more, you know?" I said as I nudged him.

"Anyways, I was looking for you" He said as his tone became more serious "How was your investigation in the Reserve Course?" Oh… so it was about that… I recalled Blank-kun's words at that moment, the horrible project the academy has been working on in the dark…

"Well… about that…" _I can't ask him to do that… I would put him at risk if I did it… but what else could I do…?_ I saw him looking at me expectantly, I had to tell him something… Maybe I'm being selfish to put him at risk just for this, but Kyosuke is counting on us and I have no other way to find out more… "… Could it be possible for you to get a Hope's Peak Academy access card?"

He looked stunned for a second as he understood the consequences of my request "You mean a Trustee ID? Those are exclusive for the rulers of the academy" I nodded in understanding "If they catch me red-handed I could get myself fired. Or even worse…"

He wasn't convinced… I had to make him to cooperate somehow "Have you heard of the 'Kamukura Project'?"

"Kamukura Project?"

"The headmaster and the board of trustees are moving forward on this plan in secret. Most of the Reserve Course's funding is being destined for this project, apparently" Sakakura frowned, it looks like this is beginning to sound fishy to him as well "Besides, they have named the project after the Hope's Peak Academy's founder, Izuru Kamukura. They wouldn't use that name if the project wasn't important. But, in order to learn more about this, I need a trustee ID"

He sighed as he thought about it for a second before adding "When it comes to Munakata, you really get serious" He said mockingly.

"So you do, isn't it?" I said, trying to mock him back, but he just looked away annoyed. Then, I realized something else I found out while I was investigating "Oh, that's right! Do you remember Blank-kun?"

"Who?"

"The student you caught last year, the one from the Reserve Course"

"What about him?"

"He told me that when he received back the accepted application from the academy, they also added an offer to join this project. Apparently, they need a volunteer to carry it out. Moreover, another student by the name of Hajime Hinata quitted school shortly before I came to the Reserve Course, and nobody seems to know where he is" I said sternly, but deep inside I was terrified. I didn't want to believe that Hinata-kun could have joined that project… "That's why I need you to get a trustee ID for me. Students could be in danger, and who knows what that project is all about! I have to find out!" I tried to sound determined.

Sakakura sighed for a moment before he spoke again "Alright, I'll see what I can do, I'll get you an access card. But you owe me one" He said with a cheeky smile.

"Of course! Thank you!"

* * *

 **Néstor Blank P.O.V.**

Another day at school begins… It's crazy to think that I've been studying at Hope's Peak Academy for a whole year now, even if most of it was at the Reserve Course… It feels like it was yesterday when I met Hajime and we began to talk and laugh about stupid stuff, it was fun back then… If only he could be here with me and Chiaki, just like he wished for…

"Um… B-Blank-kun…?" I heard a soft and hesitant voice from behind, dragging me back from my thoughts.

"Yeah? What is it?" I turned around to see Mikan standing there all alone, looking at me shyly.

"S-Sorry! D-Did I interrupt you…?" She asked terrified as her eyes began to water up.

"N-No, of course not! I was just thinking about something… You just surprised me, that's all" I said calmly to make her see that it was okay.

"I-it's fine if you're mad at me… I-I'll let you hit me if it m-makes you feel better…" She said as her voice quivered. She stiffened as she felt my hands pressing on her shoulders, but calmed down when she saw tenderness in my eyes.

"Tsumiki-san… We talked about this already: Harming you in any way won't make me feel better at all, so please, please don't ask me to do that… If you want to make me feel better, how about you try to smile for now?" I said while she looked tense at the proposal. "Come on, let me see your smile. Please?" I spoke softly.

She hesitated for a second, unused to such kindness. Eventually, she looked up as a shy smile was drawn on her lips. She can still do better, but this is perfect for now. "Good!" I said as I gently petted her head while she giggled embarrassed.

 _Mikan Tsumiki… I think she is the one who I most feel at debt with… and I didn't lend her any money… It's just that all these weeks I've spent talking with her and learning about her life… it has made me to care about her more than I could even imagine…_ Sure, the others had problems too, and I even tried to let them speak freely about what troubled them in quick therapy sessions:

Fuyuhiko feels pressured to be the next heir of the Kuzuryu's clan because he believes that his youthful and harmless appearance makes him unworthy to be called a yakuza. As such, he compensates it with an overly hostile attitude… He didn't take it too well when I pointed this out to him…

Nekomaru's dream of becoming a team manager lies on an experience he had in his childhood. He met up with a team manager who was going through a severe illness. Thing is, even if he knew he would die, he never showed any weakness to his team in order to keep them in high spirits. That man's determination made what Nekomaru was today, and he didn't regret to have chosen this path.

Mahiru doesn't give her own pictures enough credit. She believes that she could never be a great photographer as her mother was. One day, she left, and Mahiru had to take care of herself alone because of her irresponsible and neglecting father. This is the reason why she is so strict and demanding with men, and she admitted it depressed. I told her that what she has been through is terrible, but she had to understand that even if people like his father existed, there were other nicer people out there that she had to give a chance. She complied with a chuckle before saying that she will try.

Gundham's bizarre act comes from an insecurity complex and a feeling of loneliness. He tries to conceal his real feelings and insecurities under that sinister persona he has created. And when I told him about it, he was stunned. He simply walked away in silence, not even daring to look at me. He hasn't changed a bit ever since, but he seems friendlier towards me than before. I guess he just wanted someone to notice.

But Mikan… Her story is so devastating that it was hard for me to listen to. At a very young age, she has been abused physically, psychologically and sexually at home and school as well. She fears that she could be annoying or boring to those she is with and asks them to hit her, draw on her or even strip her naked, whatever it takes as long as they don't hate her. She says that she prefers to be abused than to be ignored, because when that happens she feels as if nobody cared about her. Eventually, I deduced that she might have Dependent Personality Disorder, which could explain most of her traits…

Luckily, despite letting herself to be around those who wanted to harm her in the past, she seems to grow fond fast to those who are nice to her, as she has proven these days when she would get less and less tense around me. She would feel or act awkward of course, she is not used to these kinds of situations, but she likes to indulge herself when it happens.

That's why I promised myself to be caring, patient and understanding with her, and help her in any way I could. I will personally help her feel confident with herself and make her see that, even if there are people that might hate her, it won't matter, because there would always be people that love her just the way she is.

"Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?" I asked.

"O-Oh! Um… I-I just wanted to ask you… if you could accompany me home… after classes are over… It w-would be nice to have someone to talk to…" She admitted still very shy "N-Not that you have to either! I just-"

"Of course I would like to walk with you, Tsumiki-san" I answered with an honest smile, a gesture that made her tear up a little in joy and relax.

While we were on our way to class, I decided to be the one to bring a topic up, considering that Mikan wasn't still ready to do so by herself "So, tomorrow there will be an entrance ceremony, uh? Aren't you excited? Now we won't be the juniors in the academy anymore!" I said joyfully.

"Y-Yes! I feel excited too" She said before letting out a soft giggle "From tomorrow, I'll be a senpai…" She whispered to herself excited. I smiled, seeing her so happy. Then, I looked up to find a certain chubby guy standing in front of us with a stern look.

"Mitarai-san?" I asked in confusion.

"You two are coming with me" He stated dangerously, making Mikan to cower and hide behind me. _What's up with him? He looks like a complete different person…_

"W-What are you talking about?" I was still stunned.

"I need you both to do me a favor. It will be just a moment" He said as he lowered down his tone, realizing his imposing request. Looking back at Mikan I could feel that she was still afraid of the sudden appearance.

"Um… Not to sound rude or anything but class will start in a few minutes and we have to pack our things to move to the new building and-"

"It will be just a moment" Ryouta insisted. _Okay… have it your way…_

"Do you mind, Tsumiki-san?" I asked the girl clinging to my clothes behind me. She looked uncertain, so I needed to push her a little "It's okay, he's our friend, he won't harm us. And remember that I will always be there to protect you if something happens, okay?" I said in reassurance.

She let go of my clothes as she nodded a little "Okay…"

* * *

After 10 minutes or so of walking, we reached his house, an apartment complex. I was wondering what would he want from us while he was opening the door and taking us to his bedroom. I could see Mikan staring at me apprehensively, which made me to squeeze her hand a little. Now in the room, I could see a person lying down on the bed, breathing heavily. When I got a good look at him I could notice that he looked exactly like Ryouta! Well… not exactly, as this one was much thinner. Maybe they were twins? I could be possible… But right now what mattered was to aid him, seeing that he wasn't in a good state.

"Tsumiki-san, I would like you to see what is happening to him and help him if possible" Ryouta said serious. _So this was it, he needed her and her talent as a nurse, it makes sense. But what would he want from me?_

"O-Okay…" Mikan said shivering, as she took her hand away from mine hesitantly. She began by putting a hand on this person's forehead just to retract it automatically due to the heat. From here, I could notice dark circles under his closed eyes. _He hasn't slept for a while…_ I deduced.

"U-Umm…" Mikan turned around to face me "C-Could you bring a clean cloth and cold water please…?" She asked shyly.

"Got it" I nodded as I looked at Ryouta, who understood and helped me to get what Mikan requested. Once it was all settled, she put the wet cloth on his forehead. "I-It's overwork and malnutrition… If he rests and eats properly he s-should be fine…" She said.

"Now, can you tell us what this was all about?" I asked Ryouta.

He sighed annoyed "After seeing this much I guess I owe you an explanation" Mikan quivered as she clung to me again, fearing that we might have gotten ourselves into something we shouldn't have. But I was curious about this, I won't back down now.

"It happened shortly after we began school at Hope's Peak Academy" He told "One night, while I was in my room, I began to hear odd noises. I opened the door… and I found him there, skinny, tired, lying unconscious… I felt the need to take him in…"

 _Who… Who are you?_

 _I have no name. No familiar register, no relatives… Nothing. The only thing I've got is my talent to impersonate. Using that, I've been living in the guise of others…_

 **?: Ultimate Impostor**

 _I've been doing a research on you._

 _On… me?_

 _You find nothing pleasant, other than making anime. If you could, you'll spend all your time making anime._

 _Yes… That's right… I want to… keep doing anime…_

… _I propose you this… Lend me your name, the existence known as Ryouta Mitarai…_

"Mitarai wanted to shut himself away from the world to make anime. I wanted to take his place. Our interests were the same... And that's how it has been ever since…"

"So, let me get this straight. **You** are not Mitarai-san, **he** is," I said as I pointed to the unconscious student "and you are just someone impersonating him, right?"

Imposter, as I decided to call him for now, nodded "Indeed"

"Then, let me ask, who are **you**?" But Imposter simply looked away and crossed his arms "You are not telling us, I suppose…"

"S-Since you've told us everything…" Mikan's shivering voice said from behind as she held tightly to my clothes "… you have no intent to let us leave a-alive, right…?"

Imposter chuckled and shook his head "Don't be silly. We are classmates, and as my companions I fully trust you two"

"Y-You do…?" Mikan said in disbelief as she relaxed.

"How can you be so confident?" I asked with my own uncertainties "I can see why would you trust Tsumiki-san, but you have only known me for a few weeks. How can you trust in me?" Maybe I was just digging my own grave here, but I was curious on Imposter's reasoning.

"Simple" He said calmly "It's because of the way you always talked to me with interest, and I have seen how you listen and care about the others. From your attentive personality I knew that you were reliable and that you would understand this situation" _Oh…! Thank you!_ "Besides, there is something I need you to do, something I know you can pull off perfectly"

"You… want me to give him a therapy?" I asked.

"I only want him to realize how this is damaging him, he is neglecting his own health for the sake of his anime!" Imposter yelled in annoyance "I know that it's very important to him, but he can't let this be his obsession…"

"I…" This was sudden. I wasn't prepared to take a therapy just like that,… but I have been doing a lot recently, so I simply nodded. This can't be too hard, I could handle it "I'll see what I can do" I stated.

That's when Ryouta began to open his eyes as he grumbled in pain "Where am I…?" He asked disoriented.

"Mitarai-san…?" Imposter asked as he approached him "You fell unconscious. You haven't eaten what I brought you before, right?" He scolded Ryouta.

"Who… Who are they…?" He said when he saw us. I think it's time for me to begin.

"Good afternoon, Ryouta Mitarai. I'm one of your classmates, Néstor Blank. Nice to meet you"

He looked over Imposter worried "Do… Do they know…?"

"I do" I cut him as I sat beside him in the bed "But that's not important right now. I would like to speak with you about what your friend said just now. Tell me, Mitarai-san, have you been eating properly lately…?"

He struggled for a second, as if he knew that he was in trouble "…no…"

"Can I ask why?" I asked almost immediately. I already know why, but I need that he makes this path by himself, I need him to be the one to notice things with these questions. I can't point him in which direction he must go, but I can certainly give him a little push whenever he needs.

"I wanted… to create anime…?" He said as a melancholic smile crossed his lips. This was it, this was the weak spot I had to press. This will surely cause him distress for a while, but this has to be done.

"You really like anime, right?"

"Yes… Anime… saved me…"

"Why do you like anime?"

And that's when his face took a sudden change. He was remembering, he was going back to the cause, just where I have to work on "My world has always been painted in grey… When I was young, everyone picked on me… They called me trash, stinky, ugly… It was hell... I didn't want to leave home, there was nothing out there for me…" Tears began to form up in his eyes. "One day… while my parents were yelling to each other, wondering what they were going to do with me… I found this disk containing a film I have never seen before… Its colors and drawing were eye-catching, so I decided to watch it… and I fell in love with it… From that day, I was determined that I wanted to create anime… anime that would put hope into people's hearts… anime that will paint my grey world… Anime saved me from my own despair… and I won't rest until I've created the perfect anime…" Ryouta stated angrily as he sobbed. At least he looked healthier than before, even if I have brought his dark past back… Just a little bit further…

"Would you like to show it to me…?" I asked softly. He looked at me confused "I can see that you have been working on it for a while now. Would you kindly let me have a quick peek?" Ryouta seemed hesitant for a second before he stood up and walked with difficulty to his desk.

"I don't have much, but I guess I can show you a couple of scenes…" He said as he clicked through the files until he found a couple of videos. He clicked play on the first one while I shifted to watch it more comfortably. The scene was pretty simple actually, it was simply a little girl followed by a lamb while they both were running through a large green field. The girl was giggling out loud in pure joy. It was something so simple… and yet it made me cry like I never did in my life… It was incredible the emotion, purity and innocence it transmitted in barely a few seconds… I could hear Mikan crying out loud too…

"Th-That is… actually pretty good…" I said as I sniffed and wiped my tears.

"Thanks… I guess it is because I'm the Ultimate Animator… Through a precise use of subliminal messages I can convey a certain feeling. As such, anyone who watches the messages will most likely feel that way…" Ryouta stated proudly. _Now that he mentions it… it's true… The colors, the light, the background music, the innocence on the girl's face, the purity of the joy in her giggles… It's just as if everything about that video were working and pulsing together as a whole being, caressing my eyes and whispering sweet things on my ears…_

"In fact" Imposter added "If he focuses enough, he can also create a subliminal message that will make anybody who watches it to act in a certain way, without resistance" _Even though is hella impressive… it also sounds creepy… Make anybody who watches it to act in a certain way? That almost sounds like brainwashing to me…_

"You see now, Blank-san?" Ryouta asked "You see why I have to finish this, no matter what it takes?" _So it has come to this… very well, so far so good. Here comes the finishing touches._

"I can see, Mitarai-san" I admitted "Let me confess that I am also a big fan of anime, and from what I have seen from your work, I can clearly say right here and right now that you will create one of the most endearing animes in existence… But I need you to realize, this is destroying you"

Ryouta looked at me outraged "What are you saying?! I just told you my past! To a complete stranger! And now you are telling me to forget about it?! How dare y-!"

"I'm not telling you to forget about it" I said calmly "On the contrary, if you were going to throw in the towel it would be a shame actually… No, I'm not asking you that. What I'm asking you is for you to take care of yourself. Tell me, how would you be here to complete your anime if you die from exhaustion or starvation?" He was relaxing now, it looks like my words are finally reaching him, and he is starting to see the truth behind them. "If you don't want to come to class or do other stuff just to focus on your anime, then I will not stop you. But in exchange I want you to sleep your needed 8 hours, to eat your five meals a day, and to go out for a walk every once in a while to get fresh air. If you let your mind rest, I assure you that it will work better than ever…" Now he was looking at me shocked, as if he has just been found something lost for a long time…

"And if you don't want to do it for me…" I rest my hand on my chest "… then do it for her…" I pointed to the young girl, giggling in the screen. He broke out in tears as he finally understood and gave up on my words… I smiled at the poor guy as Impostor looked at my work surprised of what I achieved. "So… do you promise to take care of yourself more?"

"I-I… I p-promise…"

* * *

 **Narrator's P.O.V.**

Meanwhile, at the nearest airport, a certain girl was back in the country to meet up her closest relative, and to put her plans into motion. She was driven to the airport terminal by the taxi services there, she was even kind enough the left her purse in the backseats, telling the driver that he could keep the change, much to the driver's delight… Little did he know that the purse was hiding a bomb… a surprise he never realized until it was too late…

Now the people around the terminal were looking in shock at the blazing remains of the taxi… while the girl stood back with a big grin in her lips "Good! Part B is about to start! It's the Enoshima Time everyone has been waiting for!"

 **Junko Enoshima: Ultimate Fashionista**

Ignoring the tragedy she has just created, she went back to her luggage to wait for the person she has been waiting for to arrive. Sitting on top of one of her suitcases, she took out a notebook and- "A young, gorgeous and mysterious girl, standing alone in the airport, Junko Enoshima" Wait, is she…? "Waiting for her is… Yes, one of the Despair Sisters: The smelly Mukuro Ikusaba" Hey! She has just stolen my job! "Now, she is looking up at her sister, who is narrating the story"

 **Mukuro Ikusaba: Ultimate Soldier**

"Junko-chan, I'm glad you came to meet me, but… what are you doing?"

"Ah! I'm talking in 'narrator style'!" I knew it! She stole my job!

"I-I see…"

"Thus, it will begin the event that would plunge the world in despair" She's doing it again! "The Biggest, Most Atrocious Despair-Inducing Incident in Human History" That is a really long name… "Like a black stain on a white cloth, it is quietly moving forward…" Is she done yet…?

"Junko-chan…"

"Weeell, this got boring quick" …uh? Oh! I get to narrate again! Ahem… She said as she tossed the notebook away. Soon enough, they were both enjoying a glass of cocktail in their limousine, road to Hope's Peak Academy. The cocktail's bottles were resting on a bucket full of ice and an ice pick just beside Junko Enoshima. The sisters let out a satisfied sigh as they both drank up their cocktails. "Hey sis, is it me or you have more freckles than the last time I saw you?" She said right before she tried to stab her sister's eye with the ice pick.

"Y-You think so?" Mukuro Ikusaba asked in worry as she blocked her sister's murder attempt.

"I say that you have more now, so of course you have more!"

"N-No, it's not…"

"My vision level is 53000!"

"Are you like that deep-space real estate speculator?"

Both sisters were having this conversation nonchalantly while Mukuro Ikusaba frustrated all the attempts of her sister to stab her.

 _Ah… Junko-chan is trying to kill me… She's trying to taste the despair of murdering her sister with her own hands…_ Mukuro Ikusaba was thinking with a face of ecstasy. Junko Enoshima then tried to throw a grenade towards her sister, just for her to pick it with her glass and throwing away the window. _Junko-chan… you'll fall into despair if you kill me…!_ She thought in a disturbingly pleasured way.

"Still, you sure do stink, sis" Junko Enoshima gave up on her murder an instead covered her nose with her hand. "Are you even bathing?"

"I-I have…!"

"Then you've got some serious B.O" Junko Enoshima stated disgusted as her sister smelt herself.

"That aside, why did you call me here so suddenly?"

"Because tomorrow's our high school entrance ceremony"

"High school?"

"I'll say this for your benefit, since you are stupid, ignorant and smelly. This isn't just an ordinary high school" Junko Enoshima said as an evil smirk crossed her lips "It's a 'special' school which they call 'the Academy of Hope': Hope's Peak Academy. And you were chosen to be a student there too! We are going there together!"

"Junko-chan, you seem happy" Mukuro Ikusaba smiled, seeing her sister excited.

"Of course I am! My heart is throbbing with excitement!" Junko Enoshima said in delight, seeing that her plan was beginning to get on motion:

 **The Tragedy**

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **And thus, our sisters of honor make their appearance! You already know what this means, right? Shit is going down from this point on! Yahoo! (who am I kidding? Those two truly threw me to the pit of despair when I saw the anime… T_T) ANYWAYS, as Makoto would say, we cannot lose hope now! On another note, I tried to write down Junko's fragments from her own perspective, just like I do with the rest of the characters. Thing is that if I can't even begin to understand her acts, then I will completely lose her mind. (I loved the gag I came up with when she pretended to be the narrator tho).**

 **Also, did I forget to mention that Mikan is my other DanganWaifu? It's just that I think that it wasn't clear enough… yeah, sure… Too bad the plans I have for her in this story are very unpleasant… It's so hard for me to put my sweet and delicate nurse in danger but I have to do it for this story's sake T_T.**

 **Anyway, leave a review if you liked it and see ya next chapter!**


	8. Despairful Encounter

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 8: Despairful Encounter**_

After Mikan and I discovered the true Ryouta Mitarai and his problems, Mikan told him to go to the hospital regularly to ensure that his body was recovering correctly. I also proposed to come here at his house regularly so he could chat with me and improve his mood. We cannot let him go through another starvation episode, can we?

Once we were finally done, Mikan, Imposter and I headed for the academy, promising to Imposter that we won't tell the truth. He was fine with that, but I hope that one day he could tell us his true identity at least…

As I thought at first, we arrived to class late, but nobody seemed bothered by that fact. I guess that moving the cardboard boxes with their stuff to the new building is more important, which is true in fact. Due to those new students who will have their entrance ceremony tomorrow, they will occupy this class. We, on the other hand, have to move our stuff to a recently built building of the academy where we will have our classes for this school year.

This being said, I decided to pick a free box and pack my things into it. I didn't spend too much time considering that I have only been here for a few weeks, the box wasn't even full. Being suddenly done, I looked around to see if anyone needed any help with their things or if they wanted a free hand to carry their boxes.

"What do I do with this?" I heard Peko in the back. She was talking with Fuyuhiko about a single box filled with soda cans.

"That's Komaeda's. Just ask Nanami about it" Fuyuhiko said not giving it much attention.

"Understood. Then what about these?"

"Ugh, enough. Peko, you are carrying my things, but you haven't taken care of yours yet" Fuyuhiko said as he grabbed one of Peko's boxes. Peko tried to stop him.

"Oh, y-you mustn't do that! I'll just-"

"Shut up" Fuyuhiko said stubbornly. Now that I was looking at them, I realized that they had a good number of boxes, I doubt they could carry all of them by themselves. I decided to go an offer my help.

"Could I give you a hand?"

"No. It's fine" Fuyuhiko said rather bluntly, but less aggressive than usual.

"It's okay. Just focus on your own stuff. Thank you nonetheless" Peko reassured.

"I don't mind, really. I only have to carry a single box myself so I might as well give you a hand" I said humbly.

"In that case, could you take care of those two boxes over there? The bastard is not here to take them anyway" Fuyuhiko blurted annoyingly as he pointed to the boxes with sodas on the back. Three boxes to carry then, no problem.

"Roger that" I said as I proceeded to take the boxes to my own desk.

"This is weird! This is so weird!" Ibuki said enthusiastically right beside the pair as she appeared from nowhere apparently "When did you two get so close?!"

"I think it's lovely that they are so close!" Mikan said happily.

"No! W-We aren't… This is a coincidence. It's just a coincidence!" Fuyuhiko said nervously, which made Mikan smile again and Ibuki inquire further. I personally believe that it's lovely too: The ever so serious Peko and the ever hostile Fuyuhiko sharing some natural and friendly moments. Who would have thought?

"But you two act like a mature, older couple!" Ibuki said still excited.

"Mature…" I heard Teruteru's voice from across the room. _Oh boy, here we go again…_ "An age where we have ripened… I like it. It's truly-" He got cut by Ibuki's mighty foot, who claimed to have slipped. I chuckled at the scene, I think I would have done that too.

"Hey, what are we gonna do with this trash?" Hiyoko said while holding up a cage. _Wait, is that a bunny inside the cage?_

"Y-You…!" Gundham began in panic "That is a holy offering to summon the fallen angel Satan!" _That is pretty morbid, don't you think Gun…?_ "Take your filthy hands away from it! Lest a terrible calamity should befall you!"

"A calamity? Are you dumb? There's no way a puny thing, weaker than a plastic bag, do anything to me" Hiyoko said cocky as she swung the cage confidently, making the bunny to poop on her face from fear. With a disgusted expression on her face, she threw up the cage from the shock. It was hard for me to hold back from laughing out loud.

"I did warn her of the calamity" Gundham turned to me with a knowing smirk.

"You sure did!" I said amused. "Well, I'll be getting this stuff to our new class now" I said aloud to anyone to hear me as I headed outside class carrying the boxes.

* * *

It took us the entire morning, we even had to have lunch there at school together. But eventually, by the late afternoon, we were all set at the new class. The new building was much more sophisticated than the previous one, and hell it was high! It was a relieve that I didn't sit by the window, otherwise I'll most likely feel like throwing up every time I dare to look outside. Nevertheless, this class meant a new school year for all of us, a school year I'm really looking forward to.

"Students, starting today, this is where you will study and enjoy your youths!" Chisa said in excitement. "Now, let's work together again!" Everyone cheered at the same time, we couldn't wait to begin, we were simply thrilled!

"Sensei, when is the idiot coming back?" Akane said as she pointed to the forgotten boxes that I left in the corner. They belonged to Nagito Komaeda. From what my new classmates told me, he was once a student in this class too, until he went missing. Apparently, he was suspended from the bombing incident I've gotten myself involved months ago. Crazy, right?

If I remember correctly he was the **Ultimate Lucky** **Student** , quite an unconventional talent if I say so myself since it doesn't rely on someone's skill but on… you know, pure chance. Furthermore, he wasn't that popular either… Everyone says that he was always going on about hope, of how hope was the most important thing in the world and it is the last thing you ever lose… or something like that…

"Um… I heard it would be soon" Chisa said "You must all miss him, right?"

"Uh, not really…"

"I hate that guy"

"Non, non"

"Not at all!"

 _Wow… They really hated him THAT much?_ "D-Don't be like that! Komaeda is a part of this class!" Chisa scolded us. Then, leaving the matter to rest, she took her notebook while she stating "No homework for tomorrow today. There's a ceremony in the courtyard for the opening of the new building's opening, so make sure you don't sleep in and miss it!" She said with her characteristic smile…

"Okay!"

Finally, it was time for us to go home. _Man, I don't know why I am so tired… I only carried three boxes today! I can't be that weak, can I? Nevertheless, you have no idea how much I'm longing for a relaxing hot bath and my comfy bed…_ I sighed in satisfaction while I imagined how comfortable I would feel by then.

Suddenly, the sight of a lonely and melancholic Chiaki cut me out of my trance… She was standing right in front of the Reserve Course, and I know exactly why… _Guess my bath will have to wait…_

"Nanami-san…" She looked up to me expectantly. I simply looked at her in understanding, making her notice that I knew what she was thinking about already…

"It has been so long…" She said in sadness. "It has been almost a year… and he hasn't come back…" She began to tear up "The last time I saw him I told him 'see you tomorrow'… but that tomorrow never came…" She turned around to face me, tears running down her cheeks. "Tell me, Blank-kun… Tell me you know something about him…"

My words seemed to die on my throat, for the first time I couldn't think about anything to say… "I-I… I don't know either…" I just said, looking at the floor with same. Chiaki didn't say anything else, she just stood there motionless until she walked away, letting out a weak goodbye.

 _Hajime… You always wanted to get where I am right now… much more like I did… It should have been you the one who were to be chosen as an Ultimate… that way you could be with Chiaki right now… She misses you so much… Every day she asks me where you are… and I can only look down and tell her that I don't know… It's depressing to see her like this… Hajime… there is somebody here that wants you back… Why don't you listen to her…? What was so important that you simply had to go without even saying goodbye? Just where exactly have you gone to, Hajime…?_

* * *

 **Chisa Yukizome's P.O.V.**

"So there is an entrance ceremony tomorrow?"

"What a pain. We are given extra work and they don't let us even enjoy the food"

"Maybe we could take the leftovers…"

 _Good… The guards are going away…_ The Kamakura Project's investigation has brought me here, to the academy's leaders' offices. Thanks to Sakakura-kun's favor now I can progress, but I need to stay quiet, it would be a shame if I'm caught red-handed now!

FLASHBACK

"Here you go, a trustee's ID" Sakakura-kun said as he handed over the access card to me.

"Thank you"

"Listen carefully, that card will be voided by tomorrow morning at 6 am. When that time comes, you will not able to use that card anymore" _So I only have time to investigate until tomorrow. I'm afraid I'll have to do a little overnight work, but I got it!_

"It's fine. I'm aware" I smiled to my childhood friend.

"Besides, I have to confess that one of the trustees has mysteriously vanished. Due to this they have tightened up security over there" He looked at me with worry, even I can see that this will be dangerous "Will you still be going?"

I gave him a big smile to show my confidence "Either I use this today or never at all!" I said looking at the ID "So going is my only choice. I'll risk my life for it"

"You are risking my life too, you know?" He said.

"O-Oh, that's right!" I said nervously "Sorry about this, Sakakura-kun!"

"I'm serious. I'm entrusting you my life, so make this work" I could see a little spark of hope shining in his eyes, which made me to smile at him again.

"Sakakura-kun… Thank you, I promise I will!"

FLASHBACK END

 _You know… Even if he said that the security was much tighter, it's actually pretty thin… I mean, I just got the trustees' office right in front of me and nobody has noticed yet! It's lucky for me but still…_ I took out the access card and swiped it through the security lock. The door opened with a beep from the lock, making me smile, I was finally in… The trustees' office… "I'm coming in…" I whispered out of habit, even if there was no one there.

The office was quite simple in fact, just a single table in the center alongside two chairs, two shelves at the sides and a desk at the back. There, I spotted a computer. _Bingo! I think today is my lucky day!_ …or so I thought until I saw the big number of files stacked around the computer… "If I check everything here it'll be morning before I'm done…" Well! It's no time to doubt now, you have work to do Chisa!

Getting comfortable on the desktop's chair, I turned on the computer while I took out a file and began to read. Going through the computer's information, I stumbled upon a report containing the trustees' personal information! This could be important! And according to the last entries on the file I was reading, the guy managing the security staff is the one who went missing… I wonder where he has might gone to…? Anyway, focus Chisa! You have to get this all done by morning!

* * *

"Oh?" This was odd… I've been here for a couple of hours now, and I didn't get any helpful information whatsoever. There were only files containing meeting schedules and decisions, academy's benefit usage, students' talents and aspirations… There was really nothing that could give me a clue about the project, and I was beginning to lose hope and patience… But then, I found a single file that forced me to introduce a password to open it… None of the others did that, so this could mean that this file in particular must be important. However, I have to get pass by the password issue, but… how?

At that moment, I noticed a little post-it glued to the screen's side. It read two words: 'Curry rice'. _Could it be that…?_ "No, there's no way this is possible. It can't be this easy, right?" I said to myself as I typed unconsciously the written words. Surprisingly, it worked! The password was correct! "N-No way…! Did he really leave his password at plain sight?! Who could be so dumb?!" I'm serious! This was so convenient that it almost looks like a plot device!

Anyway… back to the point: Now the file was available for me to read it… And it was just what I have been looking for! It had the dairy reports on Kamukura Project! _What… What is this…?_ I thought in horror as I began to read… "A project to study and cultivate the **Ultimate Hope** student, a true genius who will become the entire humanity's hope. The subject will receive every talent known in this world. The subject's own senses, feelings, thoughts and ideals will be destroyed. But to create the Ultimate Hope of humanity and save this world, this is a trivial issue… The research has already been put into practice, and we have moved on to the observation and testing of the subject's talent…" I just couldn't believe what I was reading… _It's true that Blank-kun's e-mail contained information about creating an all-talent person… but it didn't compare to what it's written here… This is an atrocity…_ The fact that there were photos about the entire experiment didn't help either… The poor student was either strapped to a chair with a suspicious device on his head, submerged into a tank with a strange liquid in it, or even lying down on a stretcher as he was being put through a brain surgery… "Th-This… This is human experimentation…!" My throat finally yelled out a breath I have been holding up by this point… _To think that they were carrying out such a major project in this school… Wait… Is that…?!_

I got a good look at the pictures to see that the subject in this experiment… just as I feared, was Hajime Hinata… He was so changed in the last picture… Piercing red eyes, long dark hair and an emotionless expression… _This was terrible…!_ Then, my mind suddenly clicked… And I remembered Blank-kun… and Nanami-san… _No, they can't find this out! Hinata-kun was their friend! They will be devastated if they knew…!_

This was all the evidences I needed! Now I have to get out of here and inform Kyosuke! He has to know about this right now! I quickly turned off the computer and tidied up the files to make it look as if no one has touched it. When I finally got out of the building, I took out my cell phone and called Kyosuke to fill him in with the details…

After I told him everything I've learnt, he spoke up "The Kamukura Project… Damn that board of trustees. Are they really trying to create a Deus Ex Machina?"

"A… what?" Sorry… I've never heard that before…

"A clockwork god" Kyosuke explained "Hope that will work in a convenient way for them"

"What are we going to do, Kyosuke…?" I asked with worry… I really didn't know what to do, I wasn't expecting that project to be this… terrible…

"Is there any indication that the information could have been leaked?"

"Well… The Reserve Course students know of its existence, but they don't really know its true nature, so I guess we are fine on that. Besides, if the public were to learn that the school has been experimenting on humans, not even Hope's Peak Academy could get away with it…"

"The public learning about this is not what I'm worried about" He said sternly… It was actually scary… as if he was about to predict a calamity… "Think about this: If a monster with every Ultimate talent became hostile towards humanity, what do you think it will happen? In fact, what if someone malicious used him…?"

"Well… That's…"

" **Hope** would turn to **Despair** …

… and it would be a despair that will threaten the entire world…" He sentenced… sending a frozen shiver down my spine… and leaving me paralyzed…

"The… entire world…?" I repeated dumbfounded. What he said was actually true… if Kamukura could do anything, he'll be unstoppable… And if he chooses to harm humanity… no one will survive…

"I'm coming over there immediately, take every caution needed until I arrive. No matter if it's a student, don't trust anyone but Sakakura. And from here on, I forbid you from saying Kamukura's name"

"Yes… I understand" I said as I hung up…

* * *

 **Narrator's P.O.V.**

Unknown to the people in charge of the dreadful Kamukura Project, and those who were against it, there was in fact a certain someone who knew about it. How could she discover such a secret experiment, held with extreme caution and secrecy? That is for her to know… However, right now she was fixed with the project and the test subject… which lead us to the current situation…

Junko Enoshima infiltrated alongside her sister to meet and retrieve the test subject possibly. Of course, they never had any intention of being stealthy. On the contrary, Junko Enoshima was simply walking and singing happily while eating meatballs, probably excited to meet the "Ultimate Hope". Meanwhile, her sister Mukuro Ikusaba stabbed every security guard that caught in their way to death. The hall was a macabre spectacle of blood and corpses.

"Hey, why do you look like your job is done?" The blonde sister asked in annoyance to her sibling. "What will you do if blood got on my boots?"

"S-Sorry, Junko-chan!" Mukuro Ikusaba said shyly, in contrast with the genocide she has just committed in cold blood.

"Geez, just make sure you clean up this mess later. Make people think they went missing while slacking off" Junko Enoshima said as she tried not to step on the bodies, as if they were garbage.

"B-By myself?!"

"Well, duh. Grunt and dirty work are your business, sis"

"Oh… I-I guess you're right…"

They walked further into the hallway until they reached a big metal door, guarded by a lock, and they both knew this is where they had to go. The soldier sister went up to check the lock to realize that they had a little problem "Junko-chan, this is a retina scanner. It won't open with a card"

Junko Enoshima simply bit down on one of her eyeballs as she shook her head lightly "It's fine! I borrowed one from a trustee. And I didn't date him or anything to get it!" She said as she nonchalantly poked up an eyeball between the meatballs and brought it up to the scanner, which made a quick beep of confirmation, finally opening the door "Sure, I may look like it, but I'm not easy like that!" Junko Enoshima added. They both went in… and found a single person sitting down on a bed. The room was big, although it was completely dark and empty, excluding the bed he was in. This person wore a black tuxedo, had long, wavy, jet black hair and an intimidating pair of red eyes… This person… was the artificial Ultimate Hope of Humanity… Izuru Kamukura…

"Kyaaa! Kamukura-san, look at me!" Junko Enoshima said in a sudden excitement. Izuru Kamukura didn't even look at her… His gaze was lost in the void, as if there was nothing he was thinking on. "I'm a huge fan! Gimme a huggy-huggy!" She went on.

"Ju-Junko-chan… He may be a bit dangerous…" Mukuro Ikusaba said, seeing his somber demeanor.

"I know, right? Kamukura-senpai's dangerously awesome!"

"That it's not what I meant!"

"Shut up" Junko Enoshima said as her voice turned harsh "You're annoying, you dumb, fat and ugly"

"Dumb, fat, ugly… It's all there!" Mukuro Ikusaba counted with her fingers with too much emotion considering she has just been insulted.

"Now then," Junko Enoshima approached the test subject bouncing joyfully "Kamukura-senpai, nice to meet you! I'm Junko Enoshima from class 78! I've been thinking about you all this time… To think that you were shut up in a place like this, it doesn't suit you!" The blonde pouted. "I mean, you can do anything, right? For instance…" She said childishly before grinning evilly and adding "… you could suddenly die, and leave everyone in despair!" She yelled out, handling a knife to stab him, just for him to kick her and subdue her on the floor.

"Junko-chan!" Her sister let out in worry. She took out her own knife to kill the experiment. But she was also easily defeated as he slapped her across the room, leaving her unconscious.

"How boring" He simply said. "Your actions are completely meaningless" He kicked the blonde under him as she giggled out loud from pain.

"My situation is so distressing right now, isn't it?! But you know, Kamukura-senpai, I'm not the only one who needs despair. You do too!"

"Despair…" He repeated to himself "No matter how logically I analyze it, it is not necessary"

"Logic?! That's a laugh! Then, why am I in this position now? Can you explain that with your logic?"

"Junko Enoshima… you have super analytic abilities, which will allow you to see many steps in advance. So, why did you do this, knowing that you couldn't win?"

"Oh… So you don't know?" Junko Enoshima said maliciously "You should have analytic abilities yourself too, though… See…? Despair is an unknown…" She said in a spine-chilling whisper. "You see, because of my super analytic abilities, I was thoroughly bored of this world… The "hope" everyone longs for is just a preexisting harmony… But despair was the only thing that was different… The heart-racing excitement of messy, chaotic despair has a taste like you've never known!" At this point, moans were mixing up with her speech, as she began to drool and her cheeks turned red "Despair is the one thing that brings chaos to this world… like single bullet setting off a world war, despair has the power to throw this world into chaos! Look at me now, I'm having so much fun!" She struggled in pleasure while still under Izuru Kamukura's foot. "Even now, I'm filled with excitement and despair! Can you understand me now? You may be this world's hope. You may save the world. But you know, hope won't lead you to the unknown, and so, you won't find salvation" She said while Izuru Kamukura looked at her intently, trying to comprehend her reasoning "Hey… Don't you find this preexisting harmony boring…? Then, come with me, senpai…"

Suddenly, a loud alarm went off as a red light filled the room and halls. Nor the test subject and the despair diva seemed disturbed, only Mukuro Ikusaba alarmed, having regained her consciousness minutes ago. "They know we are here! Junko-chan, we've got to leave!"

"You, who has it all…" Junko Enoshima rambled on "… and has got bored of it, Izuru Kamukura…! Only despair can save you! Only I can! This is a despairfully fateful encounter!" She said right before Izuru Kamukura grew tired of her rambling and decided to silence her by stomping on her head, knocking the despair diva out.

"Junko-chan!" The soldier sister yelled distressed. She crawled until she reached her unconscious sister and tried to pick her up.

"When she wakes up, I want you to tell her something…" Izuru Kamukura whispered to Mukuro Ikusaba "Tell her that I will be waiting" He hissed while Mukuro Ikusaba processed these words…

Junko Enoshima's speech has made him to consider her words… The last hope of humanity was seduced by the idea of pure Despair… Future now seems uncertain… but there is something that can't be denied:

 **The world is doomed…**

* * *

 **Néstor Blank's P.O.V.**

 _Uuuugh… Why do I have to be so tired…?_

Today was the long awaited entrance ceremony, new students will today gather at Hope's Peak Academy in where our class was until just yesterday. I was feeling quite nervous actually, the thought of new people coming to a prestigious school… it makes me wonder what kind of talent they'll have…

As such, today I should be jumping from joy… but it wasn't the case… I didn't quite get enough sleep last night, I thought it was because of the excitement at first but… I couldn't stop feeling uneasy all night, as if I couldn't get a comfortable position to sleep no matter how I tried… In the end I just told myself I was anxious and let it pass… even if right now I'm longing for that bed again…

On top of that, yesterday night the hospital called me to say that they wanted me first thing tomorrow to check me up again. _Really? The bomb incident was like ages ago, and even NOW they want to check something up with me?_ They said that it was probably nothing but they wanted to be sure. Besides, I would like to pay Ryouta a visit and see how he's going.

And that brings us to the current situation… Me, walking to the hospital, tired as hell and cursing whatever caused me this odd case of insomnia… _I promise you that once I get back home I'm gonna launch myself to bed first thing._ Minutes later, I finally reached the hospital's entrance doors. I noticed two people going out walking past by me while I was going in, I really didn't pay much attention to who they were… until one of them grabbed me by the shoulder and turned me around forcefully. It was so sudden that I simply stood there, looking at the two strangers stunned. They were both girls, one had massive blonde pigtails and the other was a brunette with freckles on her face.

In fact, I faintly recognized the blonde. _Wait, isn't she that model?_ I recognized her from those magazines my mother used to read, her name eluded me though. _What is a famous model doing here, without any kind of bodyguard or something? Is that other girl her bodyguard?_ Then I noticed the bandage wrapped around the model hair. _So she got injured? Well, if I may dare, this girl does a very poor job being her bodyguard…_

"Who are you?" The blonde model said abruptly, looking at me in shock. I guess my expression just mirrored hers.

"Um…" I said, trying to compose myself "You know, it's kinda rude to ask someone's name when you didn't even gave me yours" I simply replied.

Suddenly, a big, scary grin crossed her face… and I felt it again, this uneasiness that prevented me from sleeping… "You're right! Where are my manners?" The girl said "I'm Junko Enoshima, and this is my stupid sis, Mukuro Ikusaba"

"H-Hi" Freckles said shyly.

"Hey" I replied as I lazily waved my hand "Well, I'm Néstor Blank" I automatically said right after. I waited for some time, hoping to know why Junko would've shaken my shoulder so violently. But she just stood there… looking intently at me, the grin never leaving her face… This was beginning to get uncomfortable… "Um… What is it?"

"Uh?" Junko said as if I just got her out of a trance.

"Y-You wanted to tell me something?"

"Oh! Nothing…" She purred maliciously "It's just that… you seemed attractive, I wanted to have a good look at you" She said in a seductive tone… but when I got a good look at her eyes… _What… W-what is this feeling…?_ In her eyes I could feel… something… It wasn't interest, love or even lust… It was something else… something deeper… darker… As if I was being thrown into an eternal dark forest without any chance of surviving… "Well~ I'm hoping to see you around, Blank-kun…" She purred seductively before turning and going away…

It took me a couple of seconds before I remembered where I was and what I was planning to do. I even took a glance at my hand, it was shaking… _What is going on? What is this overwhelming sensation of uneasiness? Could she have somehow casted the evil eye on me? I don't know why… but I have a bad feeling about this…_

I wasn't aware at the time… but the trigger of a terrible tragedy was taking form right in front of my eyes… A tragedy that threatened to destroy my beloved simple, calm life…

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Ah… The empathetic soul has a taste of the despair parasite… I can see the poetry behind this… which is scary… The goosebumps are real now, I tell ya!**

" **But hey! Junko's crazy, not even a psychologist could save us from the tragedy just by talking to her!" oh? You think so…? Poor innocents… They haven't realized it yet…**

 **Anyway, you probably have deduced by now that this will be the turning point of the story. From now on, we are going down, and our car doesn't have breaks. So hang tight, 'cause there's no going back.**

 ** _RANDOM THOUGHT_ : If Junko, The Joker and Sheogorath ever meet each other what do you think it will happen? The Ultimate Despair, Batman's arch-nemesis and the Prince of Madness together… Absolute chaos, I tell you.**

 **Leave a review if you liked it and see ya next chapter!**


	9. Parade

**You might want to be careful with this one. This chapter covers the first killing game, and even if it is just for a brief time, it can get quite morbid… so you have been warned.**

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 9: Parade**_

It has been a week since my little visit to the hospital. Doctors sent me out right away after my little check up, as expected, everything was right in its place and the recovery went just fine. That was something I knew from a long time ago but hey, don't mess with the person who's keeping you alive. My thoughts were still turning to that dive I met that day, Junko Enoshima. Turns out that she actually applied to Hope's Peak Academy and assisted to the entrance ceremony the next day, I guess that she and her sister are my kouhais now…

Just what exactly did I felt that day when I talked to her? I still feel that freezing chill crawling down my spine every time I remember her big grin and malicious eyes… Maybe I was just overreacting, maybe she just acts like this. It wouldn't be the first time a famous person has actually weird traits. It could be the case… but something tells me otherwise… I don't know what it is, but I just can't turn the blind eye on this…

I kept thinking about in my way to class until I was just right in front of the door. _I'll think about it later. Let's just enjoy today's classes for now._ With that final thought, I put my hand on the knob and pulled it sideways to open the door. Inside it I found a pretty… unique scene.

It looks like Gundham was displaying his skill as a breeder, seeing that he has brought a huge bear to class… and they were both making poses in sync… _Ooookay?_ The rest was confused too… unlike Sonia, who was looking at the pair in delight.

"Oh! Good mornin', Blank-kun!" I heard Akane saying in the back.

"G-Good morning. Um, can someone explain what is a bear doing here?" I asked in confusion.

"Isn't it adorable?!" Sonia said with excitement, followed suit by a worried Kazuichi.

"G-Getting close is dangerous!" _I agree there! That thing could pretty much bite your head off!_

"Fear not" Gundham reassured "Grizner will only bare his fangs against a demon many ranks higher"

"Am I a low-rank demon?!" Sonia said in disappointment. _Do you really want that thing to bite you?!_

"S-Sonia-san, y-you're… You are Sonia Angel Nevermind!" Kazuichi added with a nervous giggle, trying to cheer up the princess.

"But what is a bear doing in the classroom anyway?" Mahiru asked right before looking at Hiyoko, who was putting a flower onto the missing Nagito's table. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean by 'what'? It's the first anniversary of Komaeda-oni's death" Hiyoko said nonchalantly, making me sweat internally. _That is kinda harsh, considering that he's not actually dead… I think…_

"H-He's not dead!" Mahiru exclaimed taken aback "He was just suspended!"

"Even so, I heard that they can't get in touch with him" Nekomaru added.

"Seriously, what could that guy be doing now?" Akane asked in annoyance.

"Excuse me, Blank-kun?" I turned around to see Ryouta's face, or Imposter's in this case.

"What is it?"

"Could you come with me for a moment? I need to talk with you and Tsumiki-san about something" _Mikan and I? Then this must have something to do with the actual Ryouta…_

"Sure" I said as I followed him outside class to talk in private, Mikan followed after quietly. Once we were out intruder's ears' reach, Imposter looked at me and asked sternly.

"When was the last time you have seen Mitarai-san?" _The last time I've seen Ryouta? …hmm, now that he mentions it, it's true that I haven't seen him in a while…_

"Well… Last week I had to go to the hospital for a quick check up, so I decided to pay him a visit once I was done. The thing is that he never showed up that morning…" I said as I scratched my chin.

"Are you feeling okay…?" Mikan asked shyly, worried after knowing that I had to go to the hospital. I simply smiled brightly at her as I nodded.

"Anyway, why are you asking?" I looked back at Imposter, who now seemed to be deep in thought himself.

"Well, that afternoon he wasn't at home either… It's possible that he has gone missing" Imposter said anxious.

"Mitarai-san has vanished?!" Mikan exclaimed in fear. Instinctively, I covered her mouth, hoping that the rest didn't hear her.

"About a week ago I found a note in his room saying that he wanted to focus on his work. I hadn't heard of him ever since" Imposter elaborated.

"Well… I guess it's good he hasn't looked away from what he loves the most, but to just… go away?" This was weird. I could swear that I did a good job cheering him up and making him to reconsider his habits, this turn of events weren't normal…

"That's why I wanted to talk with you two about this. There are not too many places he could have gone to, I would like you two to help me look for him" Imposter requested us "I'll try to contact him through phone"

"I-I'll go to his room. He might come back for s-some of his stuff…" Mikan proposed.

"Good. Then I'll see if anyone in the hospital knows something about him" I said.

"Then it's settled. If you both find out something, let me know as soon as possible. I'll do the same" Imposter said.

* * *

"Well, that's all for today! Make sure you practice at home and don't forget your homework" Chisa said while the bell rang, ending today's class once again. I was about to go through the door until my feet stopped in their tracks. I looked back at Chisa, who was gathering her own stuff with a face of mild worry. _Is something bothering her…?_ Then, I began to worry about her too, we have grown up to be friends so I think it's natural that I care about her own problems. I may be in a hurry since I also needed to investigate Ryouta's disappearance but I was more concerned about her feelings at the moment.

"Hey, sensei" I called out as walked up to her.

She looked at me startled not seeing me coming "A-Ah, it's you Blank-kun… Didn't I tell you? When we are in private you can call me Yukizome!" She said in a kind of scolding tone.

"S-Sorry, Yukizome-san" I said in embarrassment "Anyway, is there something I could help you with?" She looked utterly confused at me proposal. "You don't look like yourself lately. I can see that something is bothering you and I would like to help…"

"Of course you would…" She said almost to herself as she smiled sadly and looked down. "It's… It's nothing really…" She tried to force a smile… It was so like her, always trying to help the rest as best as she can… But when it comes to her own good she just doesn't want anyone to worry… But I just can't stay put when I see someone suffering… specially her…

"Has it… something to do with the 'Kamukura Project'?" I simply asked, unsure if it was the issue. However, the sudden shock that built on her face told me that I was right.

"How… How did you know…?" She asked almost in a fearsome tone.

"I figured… Is it too intrusive of me to ask what's wrong…?" I softened my tone, feeling that whatever she has figured out it was something I shouldn't know.

Chisa was struggling to answer "Yes… I-It has something to do with the project…" She finally admitted "However… What I found was far more than I could think of…" I could see her shaking for a second. "I'm sorry… but I can't tell you. I have to keep silent about this in order to ensure your safety… I hope you understand…" She said with sadness.

 _So these are indeed matters that I am not allowed to dig into… That's alright, if she truly believes that I shouldn't know, then I won't ask… However…_ I kneeled down and squeeze her shoulder to make her look at me straight. "It's okay, I won't press any further. But if it is something so dangerous that you went to the extent to keep it a secret, then I must request you something in return" Chisa nodded slowly "Don't go too far. I know you, Sakakura and Munakata are doing this for Hope's Peak Academy, but no noble cause is any excuse to put your life at risk" Chisa looked away in shame, agreeing silently to my words. "If something ever happens to you I wouldn't forgive myself for letting any harm come to you…"

She smiled at me as she pinched slightly my cheek "I went let myself get caught, and besides, don't you remember what I told you back when I meet you? We cannot let fear control us, if I step too far to the point of no return then I'll just go forward until I find another way!"

"And what if there was no other way?" I said sternly, making her drop the fake smile she has had during the entire conversation "It's true one must always go forward, but if the road ahead is just a dead end, one must also know when to take a step back and take another route… Yukizome, what I'm trying to say is that if you ever feel that the investigation is too dangerous, then run, go away and reconsider your options"

"But…!"

"No 'but's" I declared severely. For a moment she seemed as if she wanted to protest until she sighed in defeat and looked down to the floor. _So… the pupil is giving his mentor a lesson now… Ironic._

"You're right… I'll make sure of that…" Chisa murmured in shame. Now I feel bad to make her feel like this…

"Um… One of these days, do you want to hang out again? We could even maybe invite over the others! I'm sure they will like it!" I said cheerfully, trying to make her feel better…

She slowly looked up and smiled… and I could tell that this was a truthful smile, one full of pure glee. "I'll love that…"

* * *

 **Narrator's P.O.V.**

"And… there! Good!" Ryouta Mitarai exclaimed to himself as he gave the finishing touch to one of his anime's scenes. While few knew about his disappearance, he didn't actually go too far. He was hidden in a secret office, concealed in Hope's Peak Academy's underground, working tireless on his life project. Almost no one knew the existence of this place, 'so how did he end up here?', you might be wondering.

Well… A week ago, when Néstor Blank had to go to the hospital, Ryouta Mitarai actually went there too. However, on his way he stumbled upon our beloved despair sisters, and once they knew Ryouta Mitarai's talent they seemed eager to see the animator's work… In the end, Junko Enoshima wanted to help him with his anime and brought him here so he could focus on his work entirely.

Ryouta Mitarai, unaware of the diva's devious intentions, didn't realize that he was in fact being used… For what purpose, only she knows...

Speaking of the devil… she came from the back, carrying a mini-fridge with energy drinks to empower Ryouta Mitarai if he ever feels exhausted. "Have you got wings yet?" She asked casually.

"Yeah, no one ever comes here and these are really good equipment. Thanks to you, I'm nice and comfortable!" He admitted innocently. Although, he has never forgotten his classmates words and always made sure to eat and sleep properly ever since.

"I'll bet! I got this facility directly from one of the trustees. Of course you'd like it!" She let out carelessly, deliberately ignoring the massacre her sister committed to achieve this. "But more importantly…" She began "We've got the rest of your stuff from your room just like you asked but… Do you know this girl?" Junko Enoshima asked sternly.

Ryouta Mitarai turned to see the soldier sister carrying a large bag with his stuff inside. By her side stood a young girl tied up with the wires of a mouse and a keyboard; she was also gagged and blindfolded to prevent her from escaping.

"She showed up when I was picking up your things. I guessed you might know who she is" Mukuro Ikusaba said as she shoved the girl away, making her fall to the floor in an unceremonious pose.

"Tsu-Tsumiki-san?!" Ryouta Mitarai said in worry as he approached his classmate and removed her gag and blindfold.

"Mitarai-san! Y-You're alright!" Mikan Tsumiki said in joy, forgetting for a brief moment her current predicament. "I-I was worried! What have they done to you?!"

"U-Uh… I was making anime here" The animator said in embarrassment, considering how worried she, Néstor Blank or his mysterious costumed friend would have felt. In the back, Junko Enoshima smiled evilly once again, but quickly changed her demeanor to fake her tears.

"I'm not good with these situations but… I'm glad you two could see each other…"

"Um… Who are you…?" The nurse asked confused.

"One of Mitarai's anime friends… YES!" The diva suddenly blurted out in excitement. "To celebrate your touching reunion, let's all watch Mitarai's anime! We are going to reclaim our lost youths!"

"Uh… Well, she has already seen it before-"

"Let's just all watch it, I said!" The tone of annoyance on the diva's voice made the animator to comply quietly. Once Mikan Tsumiki was free of her restrains and the anime was ready, they four gathered around the computer to watch it together. Innocent and colorful scenes ran through the screen, making the nurse to cry aloud, moved of its beauty and purity.

The animator smiled to himself, proud that his work was actually bringing hope to people. But then, he took a glance at Junko Enoshima and couldn't stare anywhere else… Her pupils moved erratically, not focusing on something in concrete. It was like if they came to life and began to move on their own accord. The morbid and sinister scene left the animator speechless and shocked.

"Junko's using her super analysis abilities" The soldier explained, seeing the utter terror on Ryouta Mitarai's face "She can analyze all this information in an instant. If needed, she can even recreate everything she is collecting right now. This is Junko's true talent!" Mukuro Ikusaba said with admiration.

"Sis, your breath stinks" The diva harshly interjected, which made her sister to blush shyly. Recomposing herself, Junko Enoshima let out another grin while she said "I get it now… By the way, what time is it?"

"Uh…? W-Well, it's 18:50…" Mukuro Ikusaba said as she took a glance of her watch.

"It's so late already?! This is all your stinky breath's fault!" She said as she put on some perfume "Well Mitarai-kun, you can use this as your mouse pad or your hug pillow or whatever" Junko Enoshima pointed to the nurse. "Later!" She added before rushing with her sister to the door.

Outside, they met up with someone they really wanted to see again… A young man, black tuxedo, long messy hair, red eyes… Izuru Kamukura… "Why did you bring me here?" He asked emotionlessly, waiting patiently for the blonde's reasoning.

"We are having a date, silly!" Junko Enoshima said with a girly bounce "I… really wanted to see you… I've spent so much time preparing this, I haven't even been able to sleep…" Her eyes shone with embarrassment, trying to mockingly imitate what she learned from Ryouta Mitarai's anime. She dropped the act quite fast nonetheless "This is Hope's Peak Academy, where I will show you the wonder of despair!"

* * *

Few minutes later, a whole class was filled with worried students back at the academy. The Student Council, the most responsible and talented students in the academy; the chosen ones to represent what an Ultimate is capable of in Hope's Peak Academy. However, right now they were gathered in their class, and the tense feeling loomed in the atmosphere… Tonight, something is going to happen…

At that moment, Mukuro Ikusaba opened the door and made her way to the teacher's bench. Izuru Kamukura was waiting in hall by the door, looking intently at the distress on everyone's faces.

"Hey! Were you threatening us by sending us those things?!" A guy asked enraged.

"Were… Were those videos real?" A girl asked in fear.

"I can't believe we are doing this so late…" Another girl wearing a yellow hoodie with bunny hears said.

"Student council members" Mukuro Ikusaba said to get everyone's attention "we shall now have you kill one another" She plainly said.

"What are you saying?! Have you lost your mind?!" A girl in the back yelled.

"Don't let her get to you" The first guy said "If we, the student council, panic here we'll play right into their-" His words died once a loud bang was heard and a warm liquid splattered onto his face… The girl's corpse fell down with a heavy thud while the rest looked paralyzed at the scene… Once they processed what has just transpired, they all yelled in horror at the same time.

"You may have two options" Mukuro Ikusaba continued mercilessly "Either you kill each other as I asked, or be killed by me"

"Good nighty! I'm the lovely Junko Enoshima!" The blonde diva made her appearance too, while she was pushing a trolley with two big suitcases. "I brought something nice for you indecisive people!"

"Th-Those are…" A muscular guy began unsure.

"Just what you guys need the most right now!" She said as she opened one of the suitcases, showing a big number of video tapes "Let's see… money, family, secrets, grudges and many more! Super-heavy stuff, in more ways than one. A mass of motivation for that extra push… What should I do with these…?" She asked maliciously right before opening the other suitcase. This time, it contained weapons and dangerous objects: Swords, knifes, guns, crossbows, shovels, baseball bats, hammers, arrows, cutters, chainsaws and so on…

With that done, the sisters left both suitcases in the class while they simply walked away, leaving all the students with an uncertain feeling of terror and confusion…

"L-Let's just calm down!" The same guy as before tried to reassure his classmates "Killing each other would be absurd! We are the Hope's Peak Academy Student Council!"

"H-He's right, we are friends! Friends don't kill each other!" Another girl followed.

"Hey! Hey, what are you doing?!" A redhead boy asked another short guy who took a shotgun from the floor.

"I'm going to kill those two! I'll avenge her!" He said as he took a sad glance at his dead classmate. The other one didn't seem to agree with the notion and tried to take the weapon away from his companion. In the struggle, the short student lost his balance for a second and tripped backwards… impaling himself with the katana another girl was carrying…

"Wha-What are you doing?!" The other classmates yelled at the sight of the second death of tonight… The girl who carried the katana had a somber expression and tears were streaming down her cheeks. She was holding a photograph on the other hand, or rather, the cause of her current distress… "My mother… My mother is…" She babbled incoherently. "My mother… My mother. My mother! MY MOTHER!" She gradually raised her voice until in a fit of anger she charged herself to her friends, katana in hand… And this was the moment… everything started to fall apart…

Panic soon took the best of them, as they wasted no time either running away from the scene or picking a weapon to start the genocide. Students were stabbed, shot, impaled, choked to death… There were even two of them, a couple, that wanted the other one to end their life, as a promise to be together even in death… But alas, that privilege was taken away as they too fallen into the general massacre… It was not something anyone is capable to see… In the end, no one survived the tragedy, and the entire class and hallways became an atrocious party of blood, entrails and corpses…

The most prestigious and talented people among the Ultimates… to think that they have fallen so easily to Despair… It was a thought that would devastate anyone… but to Junko Enoshima, this was beautiful…

 _Hope is harmony, a just heart, moving toward the light. That is all… Despair is hope's polar opposite. It is messy and confusing. Love, hatred, sadness, joy, anger, wishes, fears… Despair swallows everything. Not knowing where you will end up is despair. Despair is what no one can predict. Only this unpredictability will save us from a boring future._

Izuru Kamukura, who was there the entire spectacle, looked at the lifeless bodies of the students, deep in thought. It was then when he noticed the cameras and the speakers fixed on the corner of the class, which presumably had recorded everything…

"Well? Did that excite you?" Junko Enoshima's voice was heard through the speakers. "Then, you ain't seen nothing yet of despair's wonder. We'll do something even better… I won't bore you…"

"What now, Junko-chan?" Her sister asked shyly.

"Take that lil' computer here… I have a little gift for our non-talented neighbors… I'm sure they'll love what I have in store for them…"

"But what about-"

"Don't worry about that. I already have plans for him~…" Junko Enoshima said as she gave one of the most evil smiles she has ever had… Her plans where already going fine, but she needed to get rid of some… unwanted inconveniences.

* * *

 **Néstor Blank's P.O.V.**

*bzz* *bzz*

 _Ughhhhh, you've got to be kidding me…_ I grumbled out loud. Who could have sent me a message this late at night? _I bet it's Hiyoko, trying to bug me and disturb my rest. It could even be Ibuki asking me how I'm doing. Yes, in the middle of the night. That would be so like her._ I clumsily groped for my phone on top of the nightstand. Once I took it I narrowed my eyes for the upcoming blinding light.

Oddly enough, what caused my anger tonight was an e-mail. _Hmm? The Reserve Course's staff? But I am not at the Reserve Course anymore… I guess they never got the chance to rearrange the mail income. But most importantly: What would they want to send this late?_ It had no subject and contained a bunch of documents and a video. I decided to safe the video once I was done with the documents and proceeded to read.

"Okay, let's see here… Uh? 'Kamukura Project Daily Report'?" I read out loud. _Isn't this supposed to be a secret? Why are they sending it to me? Besides, Chisa was completely reluctant about this, meaning that whatever it's written here must be meaty… I'm not sure if I want to read it…_ For a couple of minutes I looked at the first lines of the file hesitantly, a side of me told that it was best to simply erase it and forget about it to prevent myself from getting into trouble… In spite of that, there was a little whisper inside me that encouraged me to go for it, to read it and understand what that damn project is all about at once.

"Okay, you win" I told to no one in particular as I began to read it out. Just as I suspected, they were trying to create an All-Talent person, the so called Humanity's Hope. Lovely… if it wasn't of the methods they used… At first I would have believed it would be like… I don't know, an extreme training or even the use of experimental drugs or something like that… But the reality wasn't that tender… What I read on these files suggested repeated sessions of brainwashing, long baths on suspicious solutions and even a permanent confinement from the outside world… not to mention the complete destruction of the subject's personality, values or wishes… They treated the person like if it was a simple tool to work on… But the final straw on the camel's back was a little note I read later on. Apparently, this project is being funded by the tuition of the Reserve Course students. In other words, my previous classmates' money (and, in a way, mine's as well) is being spent on this inhumane joke… "What?!" I yelled quietly in rage. _What are they even thinking?! Not only they sign up for a horrible experiment but they even dare to steal from its students to keep it going on?! This doesn't make sense! We are talking about Hope's Peak Academy, the most prestigious university in Japan! Why would they do this?!_

For a long time, the frown didn't leave my forehead as I read the documents, angrier and angrier by the second… That was until I reached a file containing photographs of the test subject and the experiment he was put through… Never in my wildest dreams I could have guessed that I would recognize him…

"Hajime…?" I unconsciously asked as I looked at the pictures in disbelief… _So… he didn't go away… All this time, he was just being experimented on… Hajime, why? Why would you go to such lengths? Were you really willing to sacrifice your own self just to please Chiaki…? How could you be so stupid…?_ The anger slowly subsided to be replaced with grief and confusion. I finally knew where my friend was… but I would have wished that this weren't the circumstances…

 _Uh…?_

There was a single note at the end of the files. It didn't seem like it belonged to the initial report, so it must have been added later. It only read a couple of sentences:

"Hope's Peak Academy is secretly performing human experiments. They are funded by the tuition of the Reserve Course students. The Reserve Course was created to raise those funds."

 _I could already notice this fact just by reading at these files. I still can't understand why would they go to such lengths, considering all the prestige they are bound to lose if this event were to reach the public, which it did… But the note doesn't seem to stop here…_

"The school's rot doesn't stop here. Tonight, in the old building, a mass murder has been committed. The victims, the thirteen members of the Student Council, symbolized the academy's hope. The culprit was the subject of the human experiment."

 _What…?_

"The school has decided to cover this incident, purely out of self-preservation and to hide the failure of their experiment. Your tuition was wasted on these inexplicable human experiments, and because of that, thirteen precious lives were lost. You have, with no reason to foresee it, been made accomplices to murder."

Then I noticed, the way this note was written led me to think that this mail was sent to every student in the Reserve Course. If that's the case, then tomorrow there will surely be a rampage… _I guess I'll need to wake up sooner… I'm not in the mood to deal with a public hate protest._ Deep inside, I knew that I was supposed to feel like them too. But… there was something else on this note that bothered me at that moment… Fears that confirmed themselves once I read the last line of the note.

"If you don't believe this then see it for yourself~"

That last statement sent the coldest chill I've ever felt throughout my entire body… I looked at the video with apprehension… _It can't contain the entire incident… it can't_. I couldn't believe that the murderer was Hajime, he would have never participated in something like this… and yet, he gave himself up on the Kamukura Project… _Hajime… What have you turned to…?_

This was something I needed to see for myself, this can't be real. _Th-That's right! This must be Hiyoko pulling a prank on me! Well, young lady, you almost got me, but I saw through your joke. Because it's obvious this is a prank… It must be…_ I wasn't sure if I really believed my thoughts… or I if simply wanted to believe they were true… Nevertheless, I gave quick sigh and looked straight to the screen. My finger didn't falter when I clicked in the video, steadying myself for whatever it has in store for me. _Here goes nothing…_

Once it was playing, I could see a single person standing in the old building's hallway. I felt a pinch in my heart when I recognized this person as the new Hajime, with his long hair and emotionless expression… But it wasn't the worst thing of all…

The video jumped continuously from different spots of the hallway and the classroom, showing what was happening in those places at all time. And just as the note said, the protagonists of the video were the Student Council members…

They were killing each other… They looked as if they were willing to, showing no remorse of the act… Mercy was conspicuous by its absence… and in the end, no one survived…

I watched the entire circus speechless and wide eyed… I felt sick… This video was doing something… I could feel an unbearable pressure on my chest as dark thoughts filled my mind… Despite the gory nature of the video… I could see poetry behind this… The thrill of every killing… the chill on the spine every time I heard the ear-piercing screams of pain, followed by the calmness of their stiff bodies... The lack of hope in their mad smiles… This was all pure beauty… It feels like this video wants me to think all this… and it almost makes it.

 **Almost.**

There was something else in my mind, a more powerful thought that was pushing away the message the video wanted to impose… And it wasn't willing to yield on the slightest.

 **Rage.**

 _This is a tragedy. Period. Don't you dare think anything else of it, no one should ever find pleasure on this death spectacle… I'm done: Natsumi, Sato, the Student Council… A lot of people had died and no one is giving a damn for it. And if this wasn't enough, they have created an invincible monster. Hajime, I don't care where are you hiding or if you could kill me with a simple glare. I will find you, and you will respond to this._ With that final thought, I turned off the phone and shoved it away somewhere, I didn't really care.

For the next hour I tried to sleep to no avail. I kind of expected it, who could have slept peacefully after such news? I always thought that I could handle tragedies well, but I have my limits too… Tired, I simply looked at the ceiling while tears began to run down my cheeks.

 _What is going on…? Two girls get killed and the academy doesn't move a finger on the matter… One of my friends goes missing for almost a year… The woman I love is getting herself in a life-threatening investigation… One of my classmates goes missing too… Hajime appears again, with his personality completely wiped out… An entire bunch of students kill each other mercilessly for unknown reasons… What… is going… on…?_ This feeling… was something I've never felt before… It was terrifying…

 **My calm and peaceful life is being taken away…**

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Phew! That was actually pretty tough to write… I initially wanted to include the first killing game as a whole in this chapter, but seeing my choppy way of writing it would have turned out chaotically, and I think that scene is already chaotic enough as it is. Besides, that scene is very disturbing and seeing it over and over to cover it was a torture.**

 **But of course there is an even WORSE scene… and I just can't see that one without feeling sick and depressed… (episode 9, I'm looking at you).**

 **(FUN FACT: The proposal made to Chisa was based on a real event actually. There was this English teacher, who I and some of my classmates grew fond with. The thing is that she would only teach us for a single year. So when the school year was over, we decided to go out and have dinner all together to create a great final moment with her. Who could have guessed that we would love a teacher this much xD).**

 **Anyway, if you liked it leave a review and see ya next chapter.**


	10. Brainwash

**Welp, this is it. From now on, the script will take a different path from the actual anime, because, you know, gotta prevent the world to go despair. That is a big no-no. This means that the next chapters up until the ending will have major traces of my own… I don't know if that's actually good… but hey, let me try this out.**

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked."**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 10: Brainwash**_

Just as any other normal morning, I walked down the street to head to the academy… My daily routine for another day… if only this was like any other day… As I have already suspected, I didn't sleep the previous night. Not that I actually regret it, I didn't feel tired whatsoever. What I actually was feeling was… exhaustion, not physically, but mentally. Everything I've read and watched the previous night has mercilessly swept away any kind of worry I could have felt from the lack of sleep. Not to mention the commotion that will gather at the entrance because of this… I was… not in the mood for that, good thing I came early… Will they even let the students assist to class anyway? I didn't know, but going out and try to see someone… **anyone** was the best I could do… Otherwise, I would have stayed home… alone with these terrifying thoughts…

 _This is pathetic…_ I thought as I looked at my feet while I walked. _The broken psychologist… I bet Hiyoko would love to pick on me after this…_ Soon enough, I reached the new building's entrance. No angered students around yet, that is good. What is not good is that there was no one else there. No police cars, no officers, no detectives… Nothing. Even the security guard in the entrance saluted just like that… _So they really are sweeping this under the rug…_ I chuckled pitifully to myself, realizing how putrid actions were… I know that such an institution has to keep its reputation intact but… does it even matter? People have been murdered, for god's sake…

 _Chisa… Is this… what you have been feeling…?_ I remembered the conversation I had with my teacher and friend just yesterday…

"What I found was far more than I could think of… I'm sorry… but I can't tell you. I have to keep silent about this in order to ensure your safety… I hope you understand…".

 _Yes, Chisa… I do understand now… I see why would you desperately want to conceal… this from me…_ As a matter of fact, since last night, I have everything she could have learned within my reach. I looked at my phone with disgust… Against my own will, I decided to keep the mail and all the information in it, should the need arise…However, I hope… I **need** that situation not to come. Ever.

On the other hand… I was horribly worried about Chisa's current condition. When we talked yesterday she only knew about the nature of the project… but not last night's brutal genocide… It was obvious that the school is not planning on letting the public know about it, but maybe they decided to keep the information to the school staff, which includes Chisa… There was a slight possibility that they have told her about the contents of that video… If this turns out to be true… and considering how I am feeling about it…

…how is she feeling…?

Suddenly, my legs picked up the pace. I felt a desperate urge to get to class immediately. I wanted to see her, hear her, make sure she was still here, hanging in there the best way she could… _Why am I so frantic…? I'm sure she is alright…_ Again, even I wasn't buying my own thoughts… but I didn't exactly know why… Maybe it has something to do with that video…? Seeing all those students killing each other, blood splattering everywhere, begs of mercy mixed cruelly with screams of pain… Those images kept replaying in my mind while I practically ran to the classroom… and then… a single picture of Chisa's corpse…lying on a pool of blood wide eyes, an eternal expression of terror engraved on them… My heart was beating fast, my hands were shaking, my breathe was erratic and my vision was blurry. It was enough to set me off and slamming the classroom's door open as I yelled her name to the top of my lungs…

Just as my vision cleared, I could see all of my classmates staring at me as if I had gone mad… I froze in the place as I realized that I accidentally called her 'Chisa' out loud… They were going to take it the wrong way…

Fortunately, Ibuki saved me from a surely embarrassing moment "Hell yeah! That was a super cool yell there, Blank-kun! You so must do a duet with me someday! How about 'Bring Me To Life'?!"

"What?! That meme-overused gimmick? God, I hate that song!" Kazuichi complained.

"Seriously, what do people see in those? It's just loud random yells and noisy instruments going here and there. It's annoying" Hiyoko said in her usual scathing tone.

"But you've gotta admit that was an incredible scream! It even compared to one of mines!" Nekomaru praised me.

I was baffled… Just a few seconds ago I was troubling myself with the death of several people and the possible danger Chisa could be in… and yet, here they are… sharing laughs and talking about metal covers… Then it hit me. _They know nothing… Project Kamukura… The mutual killing… They aren't aware of it…_ That's right. For some reason, only the reserve students were allowed to know the truth about the academy while the academy itself is trying to conceal it… It was just a coincidence that I got myself between the ones who know and the ones who don't…

"Is something wrong, Blank?" Peko asked in her somewhat worried tone. "You look pale, and you have not said anything since your arrival".

 _I cannot do this to them… It's too cruel…_ This was not the time to feel down, they would get suspicious and begin to ask questions. I cannot let them find out, who knows how they will react? I have to snap out of this, I need to be strong for now… _Heh… So this is how Chisa was feeling back when… She truly is a wonderful teacher…_ Managing the best smile I could force, I looked up to her and scratched the back of my neck.

"Y-Yes! Yes, I am, don't worry! It's just that… I couldn't sleep well last night, that's all. Nothing serious though." So far so good. At least they seem to believe my words. "And Mioda-san? I sure would love to do a duet with you sometime!"

"Woohoo!"

"Geez, don't storm into the class and scream just like that! You made us feel worried!" Mahiru scolded me. "And you really should rest later if you hadn't slept! What would Tsumiki-san say if she sees you like this?" Even if she sounds somewhat rude, I could find this way of caring about the rest rather cute. Normally, I would have mocked her with a 'Yes, mom' but… I wasn't feeling like it…

"Y-You're right, sorry." I simply replied in shame. "Anyway… have you seen Yukizome-sensei…?" I asked, trying my best to suppress the worry in my tone.

"She has gone to the faculty lounge to get the paperwork of today's lessons" Sonia clarified. "Are you alright, Blank-kun? You sounded pretty desperate when you called her out" She said tenderly. _Shoot… I thought I got away…_

"It's nothing, really. I only wanted to talk with her about the final exams, but I do agree that I may have carried away a little. I'm fine, I promise" I said confidently to leave no room to doubt. _So she is fine… thank God…_ This being done, the rest came back to their conversations. I decided to sit down on my bench and try to rest for a couple of minutes while Chisa was gone.

"Well, my deary friend" I heard Teruteru's voice approaching me. I lifted my gaze to look at him. "Maybe it's just me, but I could swear you have a liking on sensei, hmm?"

"Wh-What?!"

"Yeah! You two have always been very close!" Akane followed "You two are always laughing or talkin' in private. This sounds fishy…"

"And what about that yell?!" Kazuichi said with… maybe a little too excitement. "You sure sounded pretty worried back there! And you called her by her name, no less!" He sure looks to be enjoying this too much… _Kazuichi, this has something to do with the fact that now I am the one with a crush? Oh, you sneaky rat…_

"It's so romantic…" Sonia said while daydreaming. "Like the prince who risks his life to rescue the princess from the dragon… And once the battle is over, they would hold their hands and promise their eternal love for each other…" She said with shining sparkles on her pupils, Kazuichi nodding very energetic while Akane and Teruteru rolling their eyes.

"There is a strong influence on our mentor" Gundham intervened. "I can perceive that you have succumbed to it. With the power of Venus, she has a strong grip on you."

"I-I don't know what you are talking about!" I failed miserably to sound convincing.

"Uhh! Our 'psychy' is in love! ~Sensei and Blank-kun sitting in the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G~!" Ibuki sang while Hiyoko giggled slyly right behind her.

"St-Stop that!" It was impossible now to hide my blush.

"That is so endearing!" Mahiru joined in my public embarrassment. "I hope you are being a gentleman with Yukizome-sensei, Blank-kun!" Groaning in defeat, I sank my face between my arms while the rest was laughing out loud.

"Will you all just shut up? You're fucking loud" Fuyuhiko yelled from the back.

"What is all that?" I heard Peko's voice, followed by complete silence with the exception of a brief, far sound of commotion. I looked up to see that everyone was staring out of the window in shock. When I myself looked out, a frown was drawn on my forehead. _It is time. There's no going back now…_

The huge group of the reserve students was already gathered at the entrance of the building, yelling with outrage at the security guards, who were barely holding them back.

"Hey, what's gotten into them all of a sudden?" Hiyoko asked annoyed.

"They do seem quite angered…" Chiaki said uncertain.

Enraged yells of the students from the outside were mixing together, creating an incoherent speech of hatred. Every once in a while, whole sentences could be heard, accusing the academy of fraud, blaspheming about the "school of hope" title it has created and complaining about the fraudulent usage it had made of their lacking money.

My classmates were looking out the window dumbfounded; they couldn't understand the meaning of this. Only I knew what the truth was…

"Hey, Blank-kun… Is there any reason why would they be so offended?" Kazuichi asked sweat-dropping… _No backing down now, even if I have to lie, I've got to protect them._

"How I am supposed to know? I moved from the Reserve Course quite some time ago".

"Well, yeah, but I dunno, maybe you could tell us if they could have something against the academy, right?" His sudden question made everyone to turn and face me, clearly interested in the matter.

"Well, uh…" _Think of something, quick! Anything will do!_ "Maybe they could be jealous that they didn't make it to the Main Course? I've seen people complaining about such things back then".

Though they were unsatisfied, they seemed to buy my explanation "Still…" I dared to add "To a reason like that, this reaction is… excessive…".

* * *

A couple of days passed, and the movement came back every single morning. The students were getting more aggressive each day and it was getting harder for the security guards to contain them away from the building. To make matters worse, the tenser the atmosphere got on the outside, the tenser it was in the inside as a result… Every day that passed, my classmates would get worried, one of these days they are going to get in… and who knows what will happen when that day comes… I've been doing my best to reassure them, but this situation wasn't that easy to overcome…

It's impossible to cheer someone up when not even yourself believe your own words or feel well at all. Not to mention the entire grief I had to live with alone after everything I found out. However, I do not feel as defeated as that fateful night; I guess I learned to accept and bear the pain it has inflicted me… if it wasn't for the upcoming events that were waiting for me around the corner…

Apparently, judging from Imposter's words, Mikan has gone away too, leaving a note behind just as Ryouta did… This was starting to get really annoying. _This cannot be serious. Hajime, Ryouta, Mikan… This does not make sense. We are not in some kind of a mystery-tragedy animated series in which everyone starts to die little by little._

At some point of the week, I drastically snapped. I was tired of being tired, so to speak. Everything that is happening is disturbing my friends… and my peaceful life… and I didn't have a say in all this. It's unfair. Without even realizing it, I switched from melancholic to furious just like that. I haven't forgotten what I promised to myself that night. I will find Hajime and he will respond to his actions. That was all I could think on, my mind was fixed, and it will not look away for anything… Some may call me stubborn… and this kind of dangerous thinking will surely get me dead someday… It's true, and I don't know why but…

… **I cannot help it…**

"They got at it again?" Akane said in frustration. This was starting to get tiresome for her.

"The Reserve Course protests keep getting bigger…" Chiaki said in sadness.

"You can't call that a protest" Ibuki said, an unusual worry in her voice.

"In this school, which is our nation's hope, no student would demonstrate against the system. So this is a parade" Peko said in the back.

"What the hell?! What kind of logic is that?!" Kazuichi said in confusion.

"It is not my personal opinion. That is the way the faculty explained it"

 _But that actually makes sense…_ I thought to myself. It hasn't been long since those students weren't making any sense anymore. At first, they would scream, questioning the academy's ethics and complaining about their wasted money. But lately, they would rant about selfish motives… Why weren't they accepted in the Main Course, why weren't they allowed to develop their talents, why were the academy's fees so expensive, why they hadn't the right of a bright future… They sounded as if they have forgotten the true reason of their protests… Wild animals driven by the pure feeling of revenge and selfishness… This wasn't normal…

 _Why are they acting like this all of a sudden? A boy has been experimented on and a bunch of students have been killed and everything they care about is themselves? This is not a laughing matter, people died. That video made clear that-._

 _ **Through a precise use of subliminal messages I can convey a certain feeling. As such, anyone who watches the messages will most likely feel that way**_.

 _ **If he focuses enough, he can also create a subliminal message that will make anybody who watches it to act in a certain way, without resistance.**_

 _No… freaking… way…_ With that shivering thought, I looked at my phone in disbelief… I always thought that there was something… off about that video… And no, I'm not talking about the video itself, which is pretty disturbing as it is… No, it's its impact; they way it could get to me in such a fashion… It could pretty much be just a coincidence… but I had to make sure…

"Hey, I have to go to the bathroom. If Yukizome-sensei comes tell her that I won't be late, okay?"

"Sure" Chiaki said with a quick nod. Once I was finally in the hallway, I took out the phone franticly and searched for the guilty video… My finger was actually hesitating once I found it, I wish I would never have the need to look at it again… but this was an emergency… yet again…

I calmly closed my eyes as I slowly breathed out. _Calm down. Look at the bright side: You have already seen it, you already know what to expect. It will not be as bad as that night…_ I told myself, bracing for the next difficult minutes I will live…

I confidently pressed the video and watched closely as it started. This time, I focused not on the gory contents, but on the video itself. I was looking for some kind of trace, a weird lightning, a specific angle of the camera… anything that could be considered as a subliminal message. In the end, I noticed it… They were very subtle changes, but if you look closely, they were there… Brief flashes of red every time anyone got stabbed, shot or beaten to death, louder volume on screams, gasps and flesh-openings, angles that shown the entirety of the corpses and the eternal suffering captured on their faces…

This kind of feeling… it is so similar to Ryouta's anime… and yet so different… That anime was a little girl, nuzzling cutely on my chest and cooing soft and innocent things on my ear… telling me that everything is okay, that everyone has a good side in them… This video is a twisted witch, torturing me to my last breath and whispering nasty things under a shivering hot breath… telling me that this was okay, that death could add beauty and excitement to a plain and simple life…

There was no doubt now: Ryouta Mitarai had somehow something to do with this incident too… _Not only Hajime… but you too?! Why would you let yourself get involved in this?! I can't understand any of you!_ I was getting scared… but not of my friends' betrayal… but for **me**. Why am I feeling so focused? Ryouta's talent is all about subliminal messaging, controlling people's thoughts and behavior. Those students outside are proof: They have gone mad after seeing that video and now they are trying to break into here to take justice by their hands. This video has made them fall into despair, they are not thinking straight anymore… If this is the case…

… **why am I resisting…?**

"Blank-kun?" I heard a soft voice from behind cut my train of thought, much to my relief… It brought peace to my mind seeing Chisa standing there and looking at me with worry… "Is everything okay?"

I quickly hid the phone in the depths of my pocket once again, I shall never let her see something like this. "Y-Yes! Yes, I'm fine…" I was clearly lying, and she seemed to pick up the noise in my heart.

"You… know everything about Kamukura Project, right?" I wasn't expecting her words… I looked at her in disbelief as she smiled sadly, seeing that she was right.

"How…?"

"You always acted cheerful around my students ever since I took you to the Main Course, you were finally happy around people you would call family… However, since the reserve students began to come here, you have been acting off all of a sudden. This is not like you… And then I realized that… you might have figured everything out, just like they did…"

I could only look down in shame and nod. "Yes… I did…"

"And… about the killing too…?" She asked hesitant. She knows about that incident at least, that is relieving… But she probably doesn't know about the video's existence…

"Yes… that too… But don't worry, I'm not sharing my burden with… them…" I said as I stared at the classroom, thinking on my new friends.

"Oh…" She said, looking down too. "Look… I know it must be hard for you right now… Hinata-kun was your close friend, and seeing him like this is… saddening…"

"It's not like that…" I whispered almost to myself, but Chisa was listening closely "It's not like I'm saddened by his condition… It's too late to be feeling sorry about something like this… Instead, I feel… upset…" I clenched my fists, trying to put together my feelings on this matter "Right now, what I wonder are his motives… Why would he enlist himself to do this…?" In the brink of the eye, I could notice a faint smile on Chisa's lips while she nodded lightly "I don't want to doubt my friend… but what he did is something I can never forgive… Maybe I'm… overthinking this too much…" I gave out a long sigh.

"No, you are not" Chisa's confident tone made me to look at her "You are just focusing on your goal, without letting the pain to get to you. You are doubting him because, deep inside, you desperately want to trust in him. That can never be wrong." She leaned forward to put her hands on my shoulders "I've seen it in you. You are strong enough to overcome this. No matter how hard the fall is, you will always stand up and walk forward. So please… don't give up. Ever. Because I know you can do it…"

 _Chisa… Even now you still manage to nudge me in the right path…_ I didn't know how to respond, I was speechless… As such, seeing that words wouldn't work now, I let the actions do the talking… I pulled her close to give her a tight hug. "Thank you…" I whispered tenderly…

She hugged just as tight while she drew circles on my back with her hand. "Anything that makes you smile…" We stayed like this for a couple of minutes until I felt that it was beginning to get awkward, regardless how close friends we were. I let her go with reluctance, and I could swear I saw a faint reluctance in her face too. It must have been my imagination.

She quickly changed her demeanor. "Well, now man up! We have a class to attend, and I won't let an outside din make you lose concentration on my lesson!" And just like that, she was in high spirits again… I couldn't forget that, despite being my friend, she was still my teacher.

"Most certainly! Now, lead the way ma,am…" I said in an exaggerated gentlemanly tone, making her to giggle while she opened up the door. She wasted no time to cheer up the rest too, seeing them so worried about the students outside. I looked intently at her while she was walking to her bench, seeing her ponytail swaying graciously. I… honestly smiled… _It's exactly what she told me, no matter how hard the fall is, I will always stand up and press forward… But sometimes I am not alone, she is just right there to give me a hand and help me stand up… She works hard to make sure everyone around her is safe… and that is why I love her…_

I was too enchanted in that moment to realize it or even think about it… but the thought will eventually come… and not in good circumstances… If she was good at helping those who have fallen down…

… **what will happen when she is the one who falls…?**

* * *

 **Narrator's P.O.V.**

Back to the academy's underground basement, Ryouta Mitarai was still working on his beloved anime while wondering about Junko Enoshima's actions and the recent odd attitude of Mikan Tsumiki. _It really is strange…_ The animator thought to himself. _Tsumiki-san's behavior isn't normal… Did Enoshima-san do something to her? What in the world is she trying to do?_ He was thinking over the diva's actions at last, not able to wonder what her motives could be to take him down here.

At that moment, he noticed a mysterious video between the files of his own work. _Uh…? What is this file?_ He didn't remember seeing it there before, much less recording it or seeing it at least. _Could have someone tampered with my computer when I wasn't working?_ A sweat drop ran down his forehead, worried if his own work got tampered with. However, this new video caught his attention. It reads "ZV (Test)", a title that gives no clue of its contents. Ryouta Mitarai was hesitating. Maybe none other than Junko Enoshima herself recorded it and didn't want him to see it, but he was really curious about it and clicked it nonetheless.

Oh… How he wished he hadn't done that…

"Wh-What…?" He could recognize a group of students in the video. They were attacking each other like maniacs. "What the hell is this?!" Strangled, shot, stabbed, impaled… Everything that could be found in a gore horror movie, he was seeing it first-hand… "People are killing each other…" He couldn't stand the sight anymore. His stomach protested and he found himself taking the trash bin in a flash. He puked everything he could have eaten that day… all because of that snuff video he has just watched…

Between coughs and gasps, he dared himself to look back at the video in the screen. He knew better than anyone else that these were not any special effect or CG animations. These… were actual people… He shivered, he was unable to move or react at all for seconds until he felt a presence just in front of him.

"You saw it too, uh?" I saw Mikan Tsumiki crawling slowly at him, wearing a satisfied expression on her face. "You can't do that! She just started making it…" Her voice sounded too seductively for a shy girl like her.

"E-Enoshima-san… is making it…?" The animator asked terrified. He knew how eccentric the diva could be, but he would have never guessed that she was working on something… like this…

"That's right" The nurse said assertive. "Made by Enoshima-chan, straight from the production center, it's a fresh mutual killing video…" She was blushing deeper with each word as a drool made her way down her lips.

"Mutual… killing?"

"Yes!" She said, finally letting the pleasure to take upon her "Everyone in the Student Council… is dead!" She was feeling such an excitement that the drools were falling down on top of her exposed cleavage. Ryouta Mitarai could only look at her in fright, unable to understand why would she feel sexual arousal from such atrocity.

"Why…? Why is she making a video like that?!" The animator snapped as he finally yelled out in rage. "Why would she do such a thing?!"

"Hey… help us out…" The nurse said mischievous, ignoring the animator's anger while trying to grasp his hand.

"N-No! We can't do this!"

"Oh, we can't do this… What can't we do…?" She whispered in his ear while massaging his legs, getting nearer and nearer to a compromised spot. "Do you mean 'this'?"

The girl was suddenly launched back after receiving a strong kick in her face made by none other than the mastermind behind the snuff tape "Enough! Just because I'm away that doesn't give permission to act like a pig in heat!"

Seeing the nurse curled up on the floor, holding her face between her hands and whimpering slightly… It made the animator to suddenly feel sorry for her. But that feeling died instantly, as she got on her knees and intertwined her fingers. She had her tongue out, as mixed strands of saliva and blood poured forth from her mouth. Her eyes looked up, a dull stare in her eyes, and her body shivered in excitement. That was a face… of pure ecstasy… "You got mad at me! For a lowly sow like me you got mad! Thank you so much!" Her body trembled and fell down as her own climax overcame her entire body, a face of bliss still printed on her face.

The animator was still trying to comprehend what was happening. "Aw, this is no good" He heard Junko Enoshima just beside him. It seems that Mikan Tsumiki was saying the truth: The diva was responsible of this all along…

"You really… were the ones who drove Tsumiki-san insane…?" He looked up at her, hoping that this was all just a nightmare… However, the solemn grin on her lips told otherwise…

"Well then! Allow me to give you a presentation on our current project" She said while putting on some glasses and take on her intellectual persona. "As you have inferred, the mutual killing video you have just watched is the reason Tsumiki-san ended up this way. However, in order to reach my objective, this is insufficient. My lack of brainwashing abilities is the reason. However, by assigning you to this project, this matter will, via the synergy of these two, be committed to a scheme that's optimized for a broadcaster demographic, a blue ocean paradigm shift that secures incentives, resulting in a win-win situation for us both"

"You… You used me…?" The animator felt sickened to find out that he was partially responsible for such a calamity "So… t-this is a brainwashing video… to make p-people fall into despair…?"

"Duh! That's what I just said!" Junko Enoshima said, switching back to her usual personality.

The animator stood up and ran. He didn't want anything to do with any of this, he didn't want to listen to this crazy woman anymore. He just wanted to get out, call the police and stop this madness. However, the nurse was quick to grab him by the ankles, making him fall hard on the ground.

"Hey, Mitara-kun…" The diva said kind of disappointed "I want to make a video way better than the one you saw. Lend me your strength…"

"What… are going to do…?" Fear was overcoming the poor guy, who found himself trapped.

"That's a no-brainer!" Junko Enoshima said as she stomped on Mikan Tsumiki's rear, simply because she felt like it. The nurse responded with a pleased moan of pain. "I'm going to knock the world into despair. That's everything you need to know" She said dangerously serious.

The animator, in a fit of panic, began to kick the nurse's face in order to free himself, pleading in horror to let him go away.

"If you want, you can run"

He stopped himself when Mukuro Ikusaba showed him a picture…

"But if you do…"

His face contorted in pure despair when he recognized the people in it…

" **I may choose your precious classmates for the next mutual killing~** "

* * *

 **Néstor Blank's P.O.V.**

"We never did manage to find Tsumiki-san" Chiaki said in sadness.

Due to Mikan's recent disappearance, we have decided to go and look for her or find clues of her whereabouts when classes were over for the last couple of days. We haven't made much progress since then, but at least it comforted me to know that I had my friend's help on this. I wish I could have their help to look for Ryouta too, but I promised to keep Imposter's secret.

Then we have Hajime, a quest that I must face alone. Although I may need Chisa's assistance at some point, considering that she has access to more information than I do. But at the end of the day, I will face Hajime alone. I need answers, and he will be the one to provide.

"I used my connections to have someone visit her house," Fuyuhiko's voice made me to refocus on the matter at hand. "but it seems she hasn't returned"

"My twelve zodiac generals could find no trace of her either!" Gundham said while twelve hamsters hung from his arms.

"S-Sure…" Kazuichi said uncomfortable. Everyone looked grim, the lack of progress on our mission was demoralizing us. It wasn't until the door began to open that everyone looked at the newcomer with glee.

"You finally came, Pukey Pig!" Hiyoko said in delight. It seems that she, too, misses Mikan sometimes.

However, the new person was a boy with white messy hair. He was soaked wet from the rain outside I presume. "I'm back, everyone!" He said joyful. _Who is he?_ I looked at the rest, who didn't look so happy to see him… "Long time no see. I brought some souvenirs".

"Welcome back, Komaeda-kun…" Chiaki said out of simple kindness with a forced smile. _Oh, so he is Nagito… Noted._

"Hmm? Who are you?" Nagito said while looking at me curious.

"Oh, I'm your new classmate Néstor Blank. Pleasure to meet you"

"Ah… A new symbol of hope I have the honor to meet… The pleasure is all mine".

 **Nagito Komaeda: Ultimate Lucky Student**

"What's wrong?" The lucky newcomer said, noticing the grim atmosphere.

"We aren't in the mood to celebrate your return just yet… Tsumiki-san's gone missing" Chiaki clarified.

"Tsumiki-san? What a coincidence!" He said excited "If you're looking for her, I just saw her in the West District".

"What?!" We all yelled in shock. _Mikan is okay… That is relieving but… what could she be up to skipping classes like this…?_

I could see Imposter forcefully grabbing Nagito's shirt "Sure it was the West District?" I found it strange. Why would he drop his Ryouta's persona so drastically? _Oh, that's right! Mikan left a note just as Ryouta did. Maybe is just a hunch, but there is a possibility that they are together or are going to the same places at least…_

"Huh? I don't remember you as this type of character…" Nagito said suspicious.

"Ah! Never mind, sorry! I got a little too excited!" Imposter said, noticing that he almost screws up back then.

"I'm sure of it. You want to pick her up?" Nagito proposed.

"Of course" Chiaki said with determination. "I have to hear from Tsumiki-san why she isn't attending class".

"I'm going too" I said confidently, earning a smile from my gamer friend. "I propose to split up in groups, we'll cover more ground like that".

Everyone seemed to agree with the notion as we got out of the classroom to take our umbrellas to look for Mikan on our own. I left a note on the wall to let Chisa know where we were going, just in case.

I got myself with Chiaki and Nagito while the rest went on their separated ways. Along the track, Nagito seemed eager to talk with me. "So, Blank-kun. How did you get recruited into the Main Course?"

"Uh? Oh, Yukizome-sensei herself recruited me while she was teaching at the Reserve Course" I said while looking through the trees intently, I didn't want to risk missing something out.

"The Reserve Course… Speaking of which, they have sure gone quite frantic! I wonder what have happened" He said awfully nonchalant, given the circumstances.

"Yeah… I wonder so too…" I said lowly, trying my best to hide my lie. Every once in a while I would get quick glances to Chiaki, who wore a gloomy expression and had gone silent the whole journey, worried sick of Mikan's well-being. It was depressing to see her like this…

"By the way, what is your talent?" I heard Nagito's voice again.

"I'm the Ultimate Psychologist. I can make people feel better or overcome a depressive state just by letting them express their problems freely or talking with them while giving them advices" I stated by memory, not losing focus on my duty at hand.

"Such an incredible talent! My luck could never ever compare to such ability…" He said in excitement. _I don't know about that. Being always lucky has its perks too sometimes._

After some minutes of walking, we arrived at the Izuru Kamukura statue next to the new gym building. "Huh? I've never seen this statue before!" Nagito said happily while walking to the statue to check it more closely. He was sure an eccentric person, he doesn't seem bothered by the urgency of the situation.

"H-Hold on!" Chiaki tried to stop him to no avail. She sighed in defeat. I decided to go on alone for now so she could take a little rest of all this.

"Go and keep an eye on him, I'll go ahead. You guys can catch up with me whenever you feel like, okay?" I said while resting a hand on her shoulder. She smiled weakly and nodded before she went up to Nagito.

I turned around and went deep into the woods to look out for the nurse. _Poor girl, she must feel exhausted… and with a good reason… Not so long ago, she confessed that she actually liked Hajime… To think that the boy she likes has suddenly gone missing for a year… How could I even tell her that her love has become a monster…? On top of that, our classmates are getting worried by the reserve student's aggressive behavior and Mikan's disappearance, but she is staying strong for our sake nonetheless…_

I went on for several minutes until I felt a hand press on my shoulder from behind. In a rush, I turned around, my heart throbbing at high speed from the sudden shock. I sighed in relief to find that the person in question was the nurse herself. "Geez! You sure did scare me!" I said with my hand pressed on my chest.

"Oh! S-Sorry…! But-!" I cut her mid-sentence as I gave her a quick hug.

"You don't know how worried we were for you! Are you alright?! Where have you been all this time?! Why didn't you say anything or let us know you were alright?!" I kept asking while holding her shoulders carefully.

"Look, I know you have many questions, Blank-kun. But we have no time! I need to get you somewhere! Quick!" She said while grasping my hand tightly and pulling forward.

"W-What?! Wait a second, where are we going?" I said puzzled.

"We cannot waste time! I'll tell you everything in due time but you need to trust in me for now, please!" The nurse said with pleading eyes. It was kind of hasty to request something so desperately after being away for some time, but if she is insisting then this must be important. _Besides, she is my friend, I can fully trust in her good judgment, right?_

"Okay, lead the way" I finally said as I let her pull me to wherever she leading me to.

* * *

 **Chisa Yukizome's P.O.V.**

"Tsumiki-san! Guys! If you're there answer me!" I yelled to the top of my lungs. I cannot believe they have gone out! I told them specifically not to go outside of the building, the situation out here is too dangerous with the reserve students around! You wouldn't guess the fear I felt when I saw that note Blank-kun left for me… _However, I cannot blame them. They are just worried of Tsumiki-san and are working together to find her…_ _My precious students…_

Luckily, Kyosuke called me not too long ago and told me he's already on Japan and on his way to the academy. I feel relieved that he's finally around, he will manage this whole mess and put everything in control… But I need to focus now! I must find my students! I can't abandon them in such a dangerous situation!

Wandering around, I got myself going to the Izuru Kamukura's statue. "Honestly, where did everyone go-?" I got interrupted by a person that came running towards me. He stumbled into me and fell down. "Sorry! Are you okay-?! Huh? Mitarai-kun? Did you lose weight?" Wow! It was surprising how thin Mitarai-kun has got in such short time! But… there was something wrong, he was pale and shaking violently… and I don't think it is because of the rain…

"H-Help… Help, please! They are going to kill Nanami-san!" He yelled frantic. He sure was pretty shaken… He even began to cry out loud when he said that…

"That sounds like a serious matter…" I said, trying to comfort him. "Where should I go?"

"I have to go too… But I'm… just an animator…" He barely could speak coherently due to his sobs.

"It's okay…" I said while wiping out his tears and caressing his cheek to calm him down "Protecting everyone is a teacher's job. When I get back, show me your anime, okay?" He finally began to calm down as his sobs subsided "Now, where do I need to go?"

"Th-There's a secret entrance in the statue… it l-leads to a basement hidden under the school…! Nanami is…! N-Nanami…!" He couldn't form any more words, but that was enough for me.

"Listen, go and see if you can find any of your classmates. Once you do that, go back to the building and stick together. Under no circumstances you must head out of the building, okay?" I ordered tenderly, to which he responded with a quick nod. After that was done, I ran as fast as I could to the statue…

 _I have a bad feeling about this… For some reason, an unnatural number of coincidences have led me to places at decisive moments…_

I finally reached the statue… and just as Mitarai-kun said, there was a huge staircase leading deep down on the ground… I couldn't deny… that I was feeling nervous… I had a terrible feeling deep down in my heart… As if I knew… that I won't make it this time… _I'm sorry Kyosuke… We not see each other again…_ Nonetheless, I stepped further down with confidence… My students were in danger, and I won't back down for anything to protect them…

For some reason… while I was walking down the halls of the basement… my thoughts switched to… _**him**_ … _Blank-kun… Just as Nanami-san, I know you can keep the rest together, even in the hardest of times… But you have something special: You don't give up on your ideals, no matter how worthless or useless they seem, you will not surrender to anything or anyone…_ I felt a calming, tender warmth filling my heart… just by remembering his smile… _I may not be there for you much longer… and I know that you will be devastated if I ever leave you… But I also know that you will eventually stand up and press forward… and I know this because…_

… _ **your**_ _ **true**_ _ **talent is not what you think…**_

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Well… THIS is what happens when I try to partially write from my own: That I take half of the chapter just with the setting… I didn't intend to make it this long, okay? T_T**

 **About time I covered the damned brainwashing issue. In fact, I was planning to write just a liiiittle bit further, but in the end I decided to put it up in the next chap.**

 **PD: By the way, the next one is getting pretty long already (More than 8000 words and I still have more chapter to cover), so it may come a little later than expected. On another note, I thought about releasing it all at once to make it a special finale, but if you want I can always see if I can split it into two or three chapters and release them each day. I'll do what you think its best.**


	11. Finale Part One: Mastermind

**This is it. The decisive arc. The point where everything gets fixed. The reason why I even considered writing this to begin with… Will I be able to make it…? (Why am I even building tension for. It's obvious this will have a good ending…).**

 **The final chapters from this one are also the somewhat reason I decided to pathetically transcript the anime until now. I know I could have written a one-shot for this but it wouldn't be the same. Even if it's something you all have already seen, I needed to build up everything from the start so this conclusion looks more meaningful… or at least I think it does.**

 **But hey, at least my presence here made this kind of fresh new, right?! (No, it didn't actually) On with the finale.**

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Finale Part One: Mastermind**_

It has been several minutes since I found Mikan and we were still walking through the forest to wherever she's taking me to. I would have loved to come back with the others so we could be reunited again; I would have loved to see the glee in Mikan's face once she saw that her classmates were worried sick of her.

That would have to wait however, as she told me there was something I needed to do. What could that be? That I don't know, and she didn't seem to be willing to tell me until we were there, saying that we had no time to spare.

I didn't mind though. I have no reason to doubt her, and she, given her introverted nature, wouldn't insist so much on something unless it was extremely important. So I simply decided to remain silent until we reached the destination, following suit a rather hurried Mikan.

However, one question never left my thoughts: What is exactly Mikan going to show me? I know that she will not tell me so easily but I'm still terribly curious. Does it have something to do with her sudden disappearance? Is it the place she has been to? What could have she been doing there anyways? And why didn't she say anything in the first place?

So many questions, yet no answer from her. I sighed, telling myself to keep all of this in mind to ask her when this is all over.

After so much time, she stopped on her cracks to look at her left just beside a tree "Here it is" She said as she pointed to the ground.

I looked at her with confusion, at least until I got nearer and got a good look at where she was pointing to. Right beside the tree's base I could notice a square outline under the leaves. I moved away the leaves with my hand to discover a metal trap door.

"Woah…" I said in shock. _What is this thing doing here…?_

"There is a secret basement under the school grounds. This trap door is one of its entrances" Mikan clarified, seeing my confusion.

"A secret basement? What is this thing doing here?"

"I'm not sure but… Mitarai-kun and I were taken here not long ago… I'm not sure why… But I could escape through here! That's why I need you to help him!" She said distressed with tears in her eyes.

"Ryouta is here too?!" A sudden shiver ran down my spine once again, but this one was different… I didn't feel frustrated or terrified, in fact, I felt… euphoric… I felt hope.

 _So that's why they were not coming to class, they got kidnapped! And not just that, it's also highly possible that the kidnapper forced Ryouta to put his subliminal messages into that video… Which means, by extension, that the kidnapper must be related to Hajime somehow!_

I smirked to myself, this was it, the place where I needed to go to settle this all! Of course, I was aware of the risks: I don't really know what this kidnapper is capable of, and Hajime's new capacities made him potentially dangerous. But now that things were finally going into their right places, I wasn't planning on giving up this fast. I don't know if I was being too brave or too stupid… I'll say both.

With renewed hopes, I opened up the trap door to begin this epic journey. The floor was barely 10 foot away from the trap door, it wasn't a big fall. The problem came when I wondered how to get down. There wasn't a wall nearby, let alone a ladder to climb down, so the only way down was to jump.

"Wait a second…" I whispered in realization "Um… Tsumiki-san, you said you escaped through here, right? Isn't there a ladder or a trampoline we could use to-" Before I had time to react, I felt a pair of hands push me forward gently, making me lose my balance and fall down to the hallway below. I hit hard on my back, making me groan in pain for a couple of seconds.

Then, I looked up to see Mikan's face sticking out from the trap door, feeling rain drops on my face every so often. Her face was a horrid mix of bliss and terror. Her eyes wore dark spirals, as if layers and layers of despair were looking through my soul. "Forgive me, Blank-kun…" She said with a brief hint of regret before reaching out to close the trap door… leaving me stunned, surrounded by the hallway's darkness…

"Tsumiki-san…?" I asked in a whisper, still trying to comprehend what has just happened… She has left me abandoned to who-knows-where with suspicious people willingly… Under normal circumstances, this would be called a betrayal… but my psychological abilities let me see through this situation…

 _They must have done something to her… I could see it in her eyes, she is not in her right mind… and yet, there was something about her that told me she didn't want to do this… She knows this is wrong… What did this kidnapper do?_

Clenching my fists in rage, I stood up and tried to feel my way to the walls. It was awfully inconvenient that the hall was pitch black, so I took out my phone and turned the flashlight on. The hallway was mostly made of something metallic, making it seem almost futuristic. _Now that I think about it, what exactly is this place for? No one in the academy mentioned the existence of this underground facility, or at least, Chisa didn't seem to know any of this…_

"Ugh… This will take sooo long…" I let out a final groan. I didn't know where I was, and don't even let me begin with the fact that I had to find an alternative exit. The trap door wasn't an option anymore, I couldn't jump that high. _Well, I can always wander around and see if I can find a ladder, that'll help… Then again, this could be pretty much a labyrinth and I could get lost easily for who knows how long…_ The feeling itself made my hands get cold… _Please, let this NOT be a labyrinth…_

"Ah… I see that she has played a part of her role…" I heard a male voice just behind me. I turned around in an instant and pointed the phone to him to illuminate him. However, the hallway's lights turned on at that moment, blinding me for a second and making the phone's light useless.

"Who are you…?" I asked, my arm shielding my eyes from the light. It wasn't until they adjusted to the illumination that I could recognize him… "No way…"

"Néstor Blank, correct?" The guy in tuxedo asked emotionless. "We've been expecting you"

 _It's him… It's truly him… I finally found you… Hajime Hinata…_ Before my very eyes was the potential responsible of a mass murder… And yet, he is my friend. I wanted to speak with him in a friendlier tone, try to make him see the wrongs in his acts, but I knew it would be pointless. His memories and personality had been wiped out, he doesn't recognize me, he won't listen to anything. As such, I reluctantly decided to go along with him and ask for the obvious instead, one step at time.

"'We'?"

"There is someone here who wishes to see you this instant"

 _He must be talking about the kidnapper…_ "And what about Tsumiki-san? What have you done to her?" I was doing my best to stay calm. If he wanted, he could kill me just like that, so I must comply as much as possible.

"She has undergone a change for our benefit, and now she is doing what we tell her" His emotionless expression made his statement more disturbing than it should be… But this confirms that she has not betrayed me. Instead, she's somehow threatened to cooperate.

"By the way… You said she has played 'a part' of her role. What does that mean?" I asked suspiciously, remembering what he just said seconds ago.

I could see him stiffen slightly, realizing his slip of the tongue. "She was given orders to bring you here whether with your consent or not. Once that task was complete, she would then bring the rest of your classmates here" He admitted nonchalantly.

That is when I lost my composure. My classmates were the next on the list. My friends are in danger. "What?! Why?!"

"That is classified information"

 _Not good! No one knows that Mikan is being threatened, they will fall for this trap right away! I have to get out of here now!_ In a split second, I turned around to run away. I didn't really know where to go, but that didn't seem to bother me by that time, I was frantic to get to my classmates and keep them away from all this… However, I couldn't go much further as Hajime got just in front of me at dizzying speed.

"I suggest you not to do that for your own sake" He said with his somber expression as a clicking sound reached my ears. That's when I noticed that he was carrying a gun… and it was pointing at me…

I gulped while every hair on my body stood on their ends. Then, I began to understand the gravity of the situation; no one knows that this place exists, let alone this where I am right now. In front of me stood an almost unbeatable person with a gun while I didn't carry any weapon… We could say that this was… unfortunate. And that's an understatement…

 _Relax, you cannot back down now, this is the perfect chance to set things straight. I must walk in eggshells here, but I won't let a gun cower me._ This feeling again… I've been feeling like this a lot lately, as if there was someone slapping me in the back of my neck, telling me to keep focused. But this sensation is far from unfamiliar: I felt just like this back when Natsumi was murderer… or even before I came to Japan… I always lived with this sensation, it's just that I cannot point what it is.

"Alright… Where is this person?" I asked, giving a quick breathe to calm down.

We wandered around the halls for a few minutes, Hajime pointing the gun on my back to prevent me from doing something stupid. We reached a small room, no windows, no furniture, just a single computer on the back of the room. "Turn it on" Hajime ordered. I approached the computer with an uncomfortable feeling, I would have wished to face the mastermind in person but I guess that would be stupid from their part. I have thought that they maybe wanted some kind of ransom in exchange of Ryouta, but if it's money what they wanted, wouldn't it be easier to get the academy's principal instead of a regular student?

Either way, I had to follow what Hajime told me, so I pressed the power button on the screen to reveal a face-cam window. The room on the other side of the screen was just as dark as the one I was in, saving the weak light coming from the computer. But no person was to be seen…

"Umm… He-Hello?" I asked uncertain, was I missing something here?

"Oh! The cutie is finally here!" A bubbly feminine voice came from the speakers. _So the kidnapper is a woman…_ I found it weird that she hadn't adjusted the audio so I couldn't recognize her voice, and she didn't even bother to cover her face when she revealed herself to the camera… I surely wasn't expecting **this** girl to be the one behind this all… "Hi, cutie! You came just in time!" Junko Enoshima said through the screen.

"Yo-You?! What are you doing here?!" I yelled in utter confusion.

"Surprised? I bet you weren't expecting such a beauty to orchestrate this parade!" She said with a disturbing joy and excitement. The shock got replaced in an instant by a very familiar feeling… a feeling that arose when I saw the killing video for the first time… **Rage.**

From that day, the only thing in my head was a search for the guilty, find the person responsible of all this and stop their madness… At first, I pointed to Hajime just by pure hunch, but now I see who was really pulling the strings in the back, Junko Enoshima. She was the correct person I was looking for. She was the reason of the wrath I've been feeling all this week. She was the one who threatened to take my peaceful life away…

"You… You…! You are gonna pay when I get my hands on you!" I screamed angrily.

"Uhhh… We are getting worked up, ain't it? Not that it surprises me, I expected this reaction from you. How about we kick you up a notch?" She said with an entertained tone, it was clear she was having fun with all this. She snapped her fingers to someone outside of the screen frame "C'mon sis, bring her in!" _Ah right… Aside from the mastermind, she is also the kidnapper… I'm sure that Ryouta must be feel-… wait… 'her'?_

I recognized that girl with freckles that stood by the fashionista the same day I met them, her sister, if I recall correctly. She came from the back, bringing another girl in front of her and restraining the girl's arms. _Another hostage, uh? I think I… recognize her…_

Indeed… I recognized her… My eyes widened in terror, my hands shook, my heart went wild and my breaths got frantic… _No… Not her… Anyone but her…_ In a second, I cared little for my own wellbeing to fully worry of this woman's safety… a woman I knew very well…

Chisa looked just as petrified when she saw me in the screen. "Blank-kun…?"

* * *

 **Narrator's P.O.V**

While the The Tragedy was growing slowly but surely, Class 77 students gathered in their classroom once again. The rain got heavier and they had no results on Mikan Tsumiki's search, so they decided to regroup and consider their options.

"Damn Komaeda. He saw Tsumiki? Yeah right" Kazuichi Souda complained grumpily.

"Maybe it was a case of mistaken identity?" Hanamura Teruteru proposed.

"The fact is that she doesn't seem to be anywhere on the school grounds" Sonia Nevermind said in sadness.

"Yeah, we also checked the schoolyard and the cafeteria but found othing'" Akane followed.

"We didn't have luck in the library either, and no teacher seems to know where she is…" Mahiru concluded.

The entire facility was thoroughly investigated, yet no clue to be found; they were running out of options. However, just when they didn't know what to do, the door burst open to reveal a frantic Chiaki Nanami carrying an unconscious Nagito Komaeda. Both were soaked from the rain outside.

"Help! Yukizome-sensei is in trouble!" The gamer girl said desperately.

"What?! Yukizome-sensei?!" The princess said with growing worry.

Chiaki Nanami placed Nagito Komaeda on the floor, resting his head on the wall. Then, she tried her best to explain the situation to her classmates: The secret facility under the academy, the dangerous girl they met down there, who happens to be their junior schoolmate, the fact that the lucky student was almost shot in the heart by the human experiment himself… They didn't fully understand the meaning behind all this, they had one thing clear: These people were up to no good, and their teacher was trapped alone with them. So there was only thing left to do.

"So, we just gotta get down there and beat the shit out of the woman in flashy clothes, right?" The gymnast said, clenching her fists in anger.

"Hmph. At long last, the time to unseal my powers has come" Gundham Tanaka said with a chuckle.

"I-I'll go too!" A weak voice said from the door frame. Everyone looked at the girl with surprise.

"Tsumiki-san?! You came back?!" The mechanic burst out.

"About time you showed up, piggy!" Hiyoko Saionji mocked, not wanting the rest to notice her relief.

"E-Everything that Nanami-san said is true… That g-girl is not planning something nice…!" The nurse said with tears in her eyes.

The yakuza looked at her uncertainly "Why would you know something like that?"

"I-I got captured by her a week ago… it was horrible! I-I missed you guys so much…!" She said while she weeping.

"Do you think you are capable of coming with us to rescue sensei?" Chiaki Nanami asked worried of the nurse emotional well-being, but the other girl sneezed away the tears and nodded confidently.

"Then it's settled!" Ibuki concluded, clapping her hands tight in excitement "It's time for 'Operation Take Our Sensei Back'! OTOSB for short!"

"Let's make Enoshima's teeth chatter!" The traditional dancer said sadistically. The others looked at her disturbingly, they knew that Hiyoko Saionji meant something else with that. Not that they didn't share the thought, but still.

"You shouldn't do that…" A weakened voice was heard in the classroom, which made all stares gazed on Nagito Komaeda. "Yes, you do possess wonderful talents. But you are no match for them… Their despair is off the charts… For you to try taking them head on would be a suicide…"

"Hmph, we won't know until we try" Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu said smugly.

"I'm only saying this out of concern for all of you…" The lucky student continued "Nanami-san, you also saw them; I think you understand, right?"

"But you already heard what she told us down there! We cannot let her keep on going on whatever she is up to! And much less we can let our sensei alone with them!" The gamer yelled not accepting her classmate reluctance.

"Are you really willing to die…?" The other guy proposed somberly. "Yeah, you are all Ultimate students. Not only you brim with talent, you also must know when to quit, right?"

Suddenly, the mood in the classroom changed drastically "D-Die…? W-Well, when you start talking about us dying…" The cooker said apprehensively.

"Yeah… It doesn't sound so convincing anymore…" The mechanic followed. The rest looked away in shame, no one seemed ready to face this challenge, opposed to the determination they have felt just a second ago.

"Really?!" Chiaki Nanami yelled upset and disappointed. "Are you really okay with this?! Our teacher is in danger!" The others began to look at each other, realizing that they were just about to leave a person to its fate… "If she hadn't been there, I think I'd still be a loner… I'm sure I'd never have the opportunity to know you all… It's fun to play games together, but I'd never have learn that… Through the fun and sad times, she was there, with us… We can't stay put and do nothing!"

The others looked to the floor and thought deeply on Chiaki Nanami's words… They all agreed internally that she was totally right, but didn't want to admit it just yet. They were waiting for someone to voice up their thoughts first to follow them after.

In the end, it was the Ultimate Imposter who spoke first "Heh, you reminded me of Blank-san just now…"

"I know, right?" The musician followed in excitement "It's just so like him to press us forward and tell us not to give up!"

"He would always do what he thought was right, no matter how stupid it might have sounded. It was so dumb…" The photographer smiled to herself.

"Speaking of him… Where is he?" Sonia Nevermind asked in worry.

"He said he would go look for Tsumiki-san for himself, had you seen him?" The gamer asked the nurse.

"N-No I didn't!" Said the nurse.

"He must have got lost then… It's fine, he can manage on his own" Chiaki Nanami whispered to herself "But you are all right, if he was here now he'd surely agree with me! You all know him, he'd surely go down there without any doubt or fear!" The others seemed more and more confident by the second. "So… will you come with me and save sensei?"

"Hey, never said I wasn't goin'" Akane Owari said determined.

"Yeah! Count me in too!" Ibuki Mioda quickly followed the notion, clearly excited with the 'Rescue Operation'.

"I-I think I'll go too…!" The cooker said, still a little unsure of this.

"That's right! We cannot stay here waiting for something to happen!" Mahiru Koizumi said in excitement.

"This warrior, too, understands… The school must not be a lonely place" The breeder joined in.

"I'm going too… After all, I'm your classmate too!" Imposter said right before pulling his Ryouta Mitarai's mask away, revealing his true face.

"W-Who are you?!" The mechanic asked, completely took off-guard by this sudden realization, just as the others felt too.

"I'm the **Ultimate Imposter** student, I've been posing as Ryouta Mitarai until now"

"W-Wait…! T-Then where is the real Mitarai?!"

"Probably he has been captured by Enoshima. And that is the more reason to go down there and stop her"

"I knew you could do it…" The lucky student said hopeful, still sitting down on the floor "That's why I tested you all. I knew that no matter the greatest of despairs, you could use it as a stepping stone for hope. But it worked because I trusted in you…"

"Tsk, you and your bullshits. Stop saying nonsense already!" The yakuza complained in annoyance.

"I'm going too…" Nagito Komaeda did his best to stand up, only to fail miserably and fall into Chiaki Nanami's arms in the last second.

"Komaeda-kun, are you alright?"

"Maybe he has reached his limit…" Mikan Tsumiki suggested, making use of her nursing skills.

"Souda-san! You will carry Komaeda-san!" The princess said resolved.

"Yes, ma'am! If it's Sonia-san orders, I'll do whatever she asks!"

"Do you think it's a good idea to bring him in such state…?" The swordswoman asked in uncertainty.

"It matters not" Gundham Tanaka interjected "At such hardships, staying in herd is essential"

"GAAAAHHH! IT'S TIME TO FIGHT!" Nekomaru Nidai said, displaying his whole excitement for the task, being followed by the others cheering up in agreement.

Chiaki could finally smile in relief, seeing that her work as the class's delegate has born its fruits. She looked away to the rain outside, with renewed hope to keep on going. _I promise, no matter what it takes, I will save you… Sensei… Hinata-kun…_

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Well, this would be enough for the first part, if you read this then it means that I decided to split the extremely long chapter into some kind of finale arc.**

 **From this point on I seriously want you to leave a review as this is the ending I worked for and the result I would have wanted. To erase the despair Zetsubou-hen made me feel in the end.**

 **Then again I'm not forcing you to say anything back to me. It's just to help me see if this is just a childish rant from a broken heart or if this was actually worth the trouble.**


	12. Finale Part Two: Will

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Finale Part Two: Will**_

I'm not sure how long I have been looking at this screen, nor could I even move a muscle or muster to say anything… I know it has been just a couple of seconds… but to me it seemed like an eternity… There were too many thoughts running and piling up wildly in my head: Why Junko took the trouble to do all of this? For what reason? What has she done to Mikan? Where is she keeping Ryouta? Why is Hajime working with her? What in the world is Chisa doing here? What does Junko want from me? And so on, and on, and on…

All these thoughts clouded my reasoning. I could hear Junko saying something, but I wasn't really listening to her. It was like if my ears were plugged, or if she was trying to give a coherent speech underwater; you can ear, but cannot listen. The only thing that stood out between my mental chaos was Chisa's terrified expression… but not for her… but for me… just as if she was begging me to run and find safety… _Even at times like this… you are going to put the others before you…_

"Hey! Are you even listening to what I'm saying?!" Junko's voice finally snapped me out. My gaze shifted to look at the model, my eyes gleaming with hatred… Oh, how I would've wanted to find her and strangle her so badly, vent all this rage out with the root of the problem… But one thing is sure: She has a person under her control, a… very important person for me… I can't just provoke her or stick to my guns anymore, a hostile approach is the worst thing I could do at the moment… On the other hand, this constant little voice in my head was stopping me from submitting to her demands.

In the end, I opted for just listen to whatever she has to say and act in consequence… while steadying myself for the worst… "Excuse me… I'm listening…" I sighed in a desperate effort to compose myself.

"Ohhh! Whatever happened to that 'yer gonna pay!' thingy?" She asked with a sudden amusement… she was finally getting things under her control…

"I am not that stupid to put someone else's life at risk. As long as she is safe… I will do whatever you tell me to…"

"No! Don't do it, Blank-kun! Take me instead but, please, don't hurt him!" Chisa cried desperately…

"Ugh! Shut this bitch up!" Junko snapped her fingers to her sister.

"Blank-kun, they don't want to negotiate! They just want to get rid of- Mmph!" Mukuro was quick to gag Chisa with her free hand. She struggled to free herself, but the girl with freckles was too strong for her.

"Will you look at that! So desperate to ensure her dear student's safety…" Junko said in delight.

This was starting to piss me off again "I said I would comply as long as she was safe" I stated harshly to no avail, my anger only served to fuel Junko's amusement more.

"Uhh, getting worked up too, uh? I knew you would love my present!" She said in what we could describe as a 'kawaii' attitude. And just like it went, she changed to a more intellectual persona in a flash "Besides, I predicted this reaction from you, indeed. It was to be expected, seeing the person you love the most in danger, correct?"

 _What...? How… How did she know…? It's impossible. I've only talked with her that day at the hospital. True, I also did see her countless times throughout the halls during break times, but we didn't talk with each other… How in the world did she find out?!_ I gave Chisa a quick glance… to see an overwhelming expression of surprise in her eyes… I quickly averted her gaze, not wanting to shame myself in such a critical situation…

"Can we please come back to the matter at hand?" I asked in annoyance, trying to hide away my blushing face.

"Weeelp, now that the cat's outta the bag I guess you need a proper introduction" Junko said right before puffing her chest out and spoke in a royal manner "For I, as you know, am Junko Enoshima, Ultimate Despair! The woman who will make Humanity consume into the worst Despair it ever had the pleasure to experience!"

 _What…? Make Humanity… fall into Despair…? What is this nonsense…?_ "Wait a second… All the reserve students yelling and trying to get to the Main Building by force… Do you mean that it was all your doing?"

"Yep! It was just my humble contribution to this boring society! Consider it my little gift!" She said with… such joy…

"A gift…? You call this a gift…?! I don't want your damn gift! I want everything to be just the way it was!" I screamed, finally letting my inner, restrained voice take over.

"Just the way it was? Ugh, so boring" She said unamused.

"Why… Just tell me why would you do such a thing!" I was beginning to lose it. Unlike the first time I felt wrath when I watched the video, right now, wrath itself was what guided my actions… I really wanted to try to stay calm and not to make things worse… but in the end, emotion has beaten reason on this war…

"You ask why? It's pretty simple actually" Junko said while shifting to a more comfortable posture and talking undisturbed "I lost interest on everything a long time ago, being capable of predicting everything does that to you, you know?"

"Being able to predict anything? But weren't you the Ultimate Fashionista?"

"That is just a façade! How else do you think I became such a talented fashion model?! Duh!" She said as if it was just the simplest of things "Anyway, thing is that I eventually got bored of everything. Love, friendship, family… What does it even matter when you already know how it will play out?!" She asked rhetorically with increasing annoyance. "But then, I discovered something even I couldn't begin to predict… despair… It was the only thing chaotic enough to give a complete unpredictable ending…! I wanted more… lots more! I killed my parents… I killed my boyfriend… it was so despairfully wonderful!" The more she talked the less sense I could make out of her. It was like listening to a madwoman in an insane asylum… And now I know what she was talking about… The Ultimate Despair… The embodiment of Despair itself… Junko Enoshima…

"That feeling was so incredible that I wanted everyone to feel this way… A world consumed in despair…! Just the single idea is making me go crazy…!" She went on with an extreme excitement that it could be considered as arousal. I, too, was imagining such a world… but I got the opposite reaction… While she was probably too eager to make that dream a reality, I was desperate to kill that chance for sure…

Suddenly, my mind came back to the fact that Hajime was working with her with this. _That's right… knowing all of this, the possibility that she was the one behind the Student Council mutual killing is almost secured…_ "If that's so, does this mean that you were the one who sent that message with all the information about the Kamukura Project?"

"Oh! So you received it after all! How I love to give you such wonderful gifts…!"

I knew it was best not to inquire on the video at all. Straight to the point. "I know what you were trying to do with that video of yours. I don't know how you managed to orchestrate all this madness, but a bunch of enraged teenagers won't be a match to the rest of the world" I refuted, in hopes that, by pure chance, she had overlooked this fact, making the plan fail miserably… but her grin already told the rest of the story…

"Pupupu! Do you think I didn't think of that?" _Right, she can predict anything… what the hell was I even thinking…?_ "It's obvious that a handful of nobodies will not help me make a difference, but that's when the finished brainwashing video and your dear nurse classmate come into plan!" She said in a flashy fashion. Chisa frowned, getting worried and confused the more it was said.

"What? What can Tsumiki-san do with… Oh no…" I completely forgot… that Mikan was still brainwashed by Junko… and was in her way to bring the rest here…

"Oh yes…" She answered mockingly "This will be the last day your classmates will remain themselves. In fact, I'm pretty sure that they are coming this way by now, determined to rescue their beloved teacher…" She said while poking on Chisa's cheek, making the other woman shake her head in disgust. "However, that hope will cost them their lives. Once they come here and see the surprise I got for them, their hope will be swallowed by my despair… Your classmates, who are like beacons of hope, will be dyed with despair. They'll become Kamukura-senpai classmates, and together, they will stain this world with the darkest of despairs…"

 _Her 'all-hail-despair' speech is starting to sound extremely annoying. She's practically prostituting the word._ "Get to the point already" I stated severely.

"Okay okay! I'm just sayin' that your beloved friends become like me, Ultimate Despairs! Who will be sent out with the important mission of spreading despair into every nook and cranny! So basically they'll go through a little brainwashing!" She answered joyfully.

I could see Chisa getting panicked, she has just found out an incredible amount of information, only to realize that her students are about to be turned into twisted psychopaths… But right now I was busy with my own realization… _This girl… She is not trying to get profit out of this situation, she doesn't want something in exchange… She is just doing this because she wants to… because she is willing to sacrifice an entire planet to satisfy her own selfish wishes… Now I see how foolish it was for me to try to reach an agreement with her… She is insane, and she will not stop until she has reached her goal…_

"So I was right…" I whispered to myself.

"Uh?"

"All this week, I've been feeling a terrible sensation that I will be losing something important in my life… Now I understand what it is: You are going to destroy my own life, take away what I hold dear and rub it in on my face… But rest assured that I will come and put up a fight to stop you…" I said intimidating. Reasoning was useless now, only moral and stubbornness were driving me forward.

"Pupupu! I knew perfectly you would come up with such a reply" She said with disdain "Look at you, fighting so tirelessly for something so superfluous, so pathetic…"

"You have committed a terrible mistake bringing me here and telling me your entire plan. I can just manage my way to my friends before you get to them and warn them of the danger. You say you can predict everything, and yet you couldn't see through this little mistake. That is pathetic" I replied just as caustic.

"You disappoint me, Blank-senpai! You have already seen that video once, correct?" She asked in her intellectual persona "This being the case, you would have gone just as insane as those students outside. Yet, you are here, having a civilized conversation with me, don't you find this highly improbable?" As painful as it is, she was right; somehow, my mind has managed to keep itself together throughout this mess… I didn't want to concede that she had shot in the bull's eye… even if I knew she has already noticed it… "You wantcha know why'd that be?!" Junko said shifting to her adorable personality "It's all thanks to your super-duper cool talent!"

 _Wait… What?_ "My talent…? Why would being a psychologist help me avoid a strong technique of mind controlling?" I asked, now with a glint of curiosity. My Ultimate Psychologist talent saved me from going mad…? How…?

"What?! Psychologist?! The hell are you sayin'?! That is not your talent!" She laughed out loud.

"W-What? Then what is…"

"Aw, c'mon! It's not that hard to imagine, jackass!" She yelled in a somewhat aggressive persona… this gimmick about her splitting personalities is also starting to get annoying "Think 'bout it! A strong willed person, unwilling to let himself get poisoned by others influence, always going forward even if he is just walking a path with a dead end. So persistent, so obstinate, so stubborn…! Ugh, so annoyingly hopeful!"

"Are you serious…?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Most certainly" Back to the intellectual persona "I can say that, without a doubt, you are in fact… the **Ultimate Willful** student"

 **Néstor Blank: Ultimate Willful**

 _Impossible… All this time I have thought that Ultimate Psychologist was my talent… Chisa helped me find it… Was all that… a mistake…?_ I was struggling to comprehend the meaning behind all of this… Was I the Ultimate Psychologist, or the Ultimate Willful? Hell, if I could tell… I could always mark her words as lies and ignore everything she has just said… But all I have been thinking and doing for the past week told me that she was just telling the truth… _Okay… You say I'm stubborn? I'll be stubborn._ "Regardless, my resolution remains: I won't let you put a hand on my friends, and I'm willing to get myself killed if that's what it takes to stop you" I felt calm. Everything is clear now, I see how can I save my friends. The only thing left to do, is do it.

"Of course you will…" Junko said maliciously "Well, have fun down there! In the meantime, I will be having fun with your beloved teacher here!" _What…? Chisa…?_ I could see the tension building in the eyes of my love… "It's so sad actually, going without knowing what happened to the woman you loved… It's just so… despairful…!" Once again, Junko was enjoying her despair carousel too much.

"Hey! W-Wait! O-Okay, I'll do whatever you tell me to, but please don't hurt her!"

"Ugh, will you just shut up? If I wanted your cooperation I wouldn't have called you here in the first place, just like you said, right?" She was right again… you don't know how it pains me to know that she has me cornered no matter how much I run… "Besides, your talent prevents you from doing something that doesn't match with your moral. In other words, I can't make you work under me, which means that you will only be a burden and a nuisance to my plans!"

"Wait… Are you implying that…?"

"Yes" She said sternly "I don't want you around, so I'm going to get you killed" The severity of those words were shivering, as if death itself was speaking to me… "Why would I tell you all of this then? It's just like you said, I wanted to rub it in on your face!" She approached the restrained teacher and ordered her sister to let her speak for a second. Then, Junko brang Chisa forcefully to the computer screen "You may want to say goodbye now, cuz you won't be seeing her ever again!"

"Blank-kun!" Chisa yelled in distress.

"Chisa! I will get you out! I promise I will get you out!"

"Sayonara, sweetie!" Junko said darkly the second before the screen went off, finishing the call instantly.

* * *

 **Narrator's P.O.V.**

"Guys, be careful" Chiaki Nanami warned her friends on the back of the group. Soon enough they decided to set off on a mission to rescue their teacher, they arrived at the secret entrance under Izuru Kamukura's statue to the underground facility. On their way here, they stumbled upon the multitude of the reserve students, who were carrying protest banners at the entrance of the academy. Once they saw the Ultimates, they began to take on an aggressive approach to them with the intention of harming the Main Course students with their banners. Under these circumstances, Nekomaru Nidai and Gundham Tanaka decided to stay behind and hold them back the best they could. The rest went on reassured, with the team manager's strength and the breeder's Snow-White-like relationship with animals they knew they could handle it.

That brought us to the current situation, in which the students are already going downstairs to have their appointment with destiny. "Do you think Tanaka-san and Nidai-san will be okay?" The princess asked worried.

"Don't worry about the old man" Akane Owari reassured confidently "By now, he may be training with those students"

"Yeah! And Tanaka's a man who can get stuff done when he needs to!" Kazuichi Souda followed while carrying and unconscious Nagito Komaeda on his back.

"You're right! Tanaka-san will be fine!" Sonia Nevermind said, finally relaxed of her classmates wellbeing.

"Ugh… I just helped my romantic rival…" The mechanic whispered, kicking himself mentally.

"Still, if the passageway is here, Enoshima and the school must be in cahoots…" Teruteru Hanamura pointed out warily.

"Hey… Do you think Chisa-sensei is okay…?" The musician asked, another unusual distressed tone in her.

"For now let's just do what we can" The gamer girl replied, trying to keep the spirits up "Besides, though I don't know why, I feel like we can pull this off!"

"Heh, when you say it that way, I get the strange sense that you're right" Imposter complimented.

"Don't say that! I just blurted out what came to my mind…" The gamer replied modestly.

"I must, too, concede the power behind those words. Blank-kun would be proud" The swordswoman replied nonchalantly.

"It's a shame he couldn't come with us… He would have loved to rescue sensei with all of us, together as a group" Mahiru Koizumi said in sorrow.

"I think it's for the best" The gamer replied "I don't think he would have liked all of this at all, and you know how impulsive he can get at times. So we must give our best effort on his behalf!"

"Heh, you got it, sis" Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu replied in a whisper, unwilling to confess his complete agreement on the notion.

The group went ahead a little further, until Chiaki Nanami felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find Mikan Tsumiki behind her with a face of urgency "Can I have a moment?"

"Uh? Sure…" The gamer girl replied unsure. She saw the rest of the group still walking ahead, but she would make sure they catch up with them in a moment. For now she just listened to nurse's private inquires.

"You're a mysterious person, Nanami-san, you always seemed so listless... But at some point, you became the center of the class…" Mikan Tsumiki thought out loud, looking at nowhere in specific.

"No, n-not really…" The gamer replied, still with the modesty she was characteristic of.

"After all, you're the class rep… The leader of this class and everything…"

"Huh, what's wrong Tsumiki-san…?" Chiaki Nanami asked, sensing that something was off about the nurse.

The other girl turned to her, tears filling her eyelids… "I… I-I'm sorry!" Mikan Tsumiki yelled in remorse while she pushed the gamer away, making her collide with the wall.

However, this wall in question had a rotator panel, making Chiaki Nanami get through the gap and fall down to the hall below, separating her from the rest of the group… While she was trying to process the actions of her classmate, Chiaki Nanami's world shrouded in darkness…

* * *

 **Néstor Blank's P.O.V**

"Chisa…? Chisa!" I screamed to the computer screen, trying to digest everything that has transpired… An evil plan which consist on making the whole world go nuts just because the mastermind feels like it, my friends being the ones chosen to be responsible of the event, the killing intention towards me due to the uselessness of my presence… Hell, I couldn't even properly say goodbye to the person I love… much less tell her how I feel towards her in my final moments… It's just like Junko said, being unable to know what will happen to Chisa is the greatest of despairs…

This is too much to take in all at once… I will be forgotten in a rotting world, without even getting a saying in this or a chance of complaining… My life will end here… and it was too late to finally see that, indeed, my simple, boring, peaceful life… was dying with me…

 _ **So what…?**_

 _Are you seriously going to stay here and whine about your losses? You're going to lose your friends, you're going to lose your love, you're going to lose your life. No one has the right to take anything away from you, and if they are, just go out there and take them back. That's it. So stop complaining and make a difference, for God's sake. After all, we are just that_ _ **willful**_ _, am I right?_

I was sure that all of this madness was driving me crazy… I was beginning to talk to myself in my mind… or rather, it was that side of me, that little voice that slapped the back of my neck and ordered me to keep focused every time I was down… And it was right… I am right… When hard times like these come, the least thing I can do is give up… Chisa said it, because I am strong enough to overcome this, no matter how hard the fall is, I will always stand up and walk forward, because I can do this.

With these thoughts clear, peace filled my soul, allowing me to see the whole picture back again and remind me of what was at stake, things I am not willing to lose. Deep inside, I knew this was a suicide mission, I've told myself this countless times before, and this time around looks like it's going to actually be a suicide… All right, if I was destined to be defeated, I will not go without putting up a good fight. After all, as I told myself back when, **I just can't help it!**

Things being sorted out with myself, I smirked triumphant and stood up with confidence. Innocent of me when I turned around and discovered that Hajime was still here, blocking the door, pointing his gun to me. _Ugh, you still here?_

"You do understand now, no more is required from you. Any last words?" He said, still with that emotionless tone that pissed me off so badly.

 _Last words… You wish._ "Step aside" I said defiant, no trace of fear in my voice or my heart to be found.

"I see you have not yet understood the position you are in" He answered in a slight disappointed tone. He then, proceeded to shot me on my thigh, piercing through the flesh and staining my trousers red. An unbearable pain filled my leg, as I kneeled down weak and did my best to cover the hole and prevent blood from coming out…

Despite this, I somehow managed to find the strength to chuckle and look at him mockingly while trying to suppress the pain "Being an all-talent monster, and you can't figure out something like that?"

"What do you mean?" Hajime asked in a sudden curiosity.

"C'mon… Wasn't I the Ultimate Willful…? Being stubborn is what I do best, so don't expect me cowering back anytime soon…"

"I just don't get it…" Hajime said as he frowned "You fight so hard to protect something that even you find boring, but a single person cannot battle Despair itself to save Humanity"

"Humanity… don't make me laugh…" I chuckled again. I doubt the pain I'm feeling now is responsible, and I will surely regret later what I was about to say, but now I needed to voice out my frustrations. "Even if this sounds selfish, let me be honest: I don't give a shit what happens to this world. What I only care about is my own happiness and well-being, keep my life intact, even if that means living in an eternal boring cycle… because that will be enough for me…" Hajime looked at me, unable to respond or comprehend my reasoning… even I didn't comprehend it… but it was what I was feeling. "However… there is a single person that, somehow, has managed to make me realize that changes are possible, even in a simple life… Incredible and exciting changes can be made without distorting the entirety of the picture… I can never be grateful enough to that person, who came into my life and changed it to the better, without destroying its simplicity and peacefulness… and letting me get to know amazing people, capable of making miracles true…"

In my final moments, I was speaking my heart out, no fear, no resentment, no hesitation... something the great Izuru Kamukura, Hajime Hinata, couldn't understand, but respected… "… but you…" I went on "You… have let fear overcome you. You've let your worries get the best of you and change your whole world, all for a good cause, I agree but… even so, look at you now, look at what you have turned yourself into, only for the approval of a person who fully accepted you the way you were… You really are so dense, Hajime… What would Nanami-san say if she sees you like this…?"

Hajime remained quiet for several seconds, no sign of him wanting to answer. I chuckled for a third time. _Heh… Looks like I touched a nerve here… Well, I sold my ticket… Go ahead, finish this now._ I was sure he would shot me for good, tired of everything I have just said… Instead, when I looked up at him, he was just… standing there, eyes wide and the gun pointing down to the floor. _What…?_

"Who…?" He seemed to struggle to speak… the Ultimate of Ultimates, at a loss of words… What is happening…? "Who did you say…?"

"N-Nanami-san… Don't you remember? You used to play with her once classes were over every single day. You would always try to beat your own highscore on Gala Omega. And I would always be there with you two, watching your bond getting stronger… You loved her, I can assure you. You'd never admit it to me, but you could never hide that fact"

"I… loved…" He said uncertain... like a person who has just suffered amnesia and was trying to get the hang of everything once again "How… did you call me…?"

"Hajime. Your name is Hajime Hinata" I said as I tried to stand up with difficulty, the pain still persistent but not as unbearable as before.

"Hajime… Hinata…" He repeated like a toddler who has just learned to speak… and he remained like this for the next couple of seconds. I could only watch in confusion and curiosity… _What is this? Isn't he supposed to be like an emotionless machine destined to be unbeatable?_ I wasn't sure what I did, but I did something. Something that made him think, reconsider his actions… Eventually, he spoke up "It seems that this is what she feared…"

"Uh?"

"There was something Junko Enoshima feared, I could sense it. She would always try to hide the fact from me, but I knew that she was aware of a slim possibility that her plan could fail. I see now what it is…" He said sternly "It is your talent"

"Uh… Well, I already knew that… After all, she wouldn't have sent you to kill me if she didn't find me as an inconvenience! She've said it!"

"Not quite. Were you the Ultimate Psychologist she would have recruited you with the brainwashing video, were you the Ultimate Willful she would have killed you. Neither was enough to make her feel afraid, but both. A person capable of persuade and convince others, while being unable to convince or seduced into a certain way of thinking… Strong words and a resilient mind… Those two combined would have meant the end of her plans… and you were the only one who fitted that description"

Those words were like the rising sun, filling every dark corner with light and brightness… Even after all the recklessness I've been committing all this time, it wasn't for nothing in the end… I could finally make a difference… I could finally save my friends… save Chisa… _Brace yourself, Junko Enoshima. I may not be the Ultimate Hope, but I won't let myself lose to Despair!_

Hajime helped me stand up and brought me to the door. He handed me the gun as he spoke "You will need it. The room you are looking for is at the end of the right hallway" I took the gun hesitantly. Even if I was ready for a fight, I'm not exactly expecting to kill someone today… Nevertheless, the sisters will not show mercy, so having some kind of insurance is better than anything. "Now go, there is someone who needs you" He prompted me out of the room, an action I responded with a quick nod and a 'take care'.

Next thing I knew I was rushing down the hall he has just pointed me to go, running as fast as my lame leg would let me. _You've got this, Néstor! But you cannot relax yet. We've won a battle, but war is still looming up._ But I wasn't afraid anymore. I know I can do this, because Junko fears me, and as long as she sees me as a threat I know I still have a chance, no matter how slim it is. But more importantly... Chisa is counting on me, and I'm not planning on letting her down. _Hang in there, Chisa! I'm going to rescue you!_

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **I just realized that I take either too much or very little time to write a scene… and that I tend to repeat things I've already written chapters or even paragraphs ago… Meh, work in progress.**

 **On another note, the next chapter may come a little later than I would have wanted. I'm currently going through some personal issues that have me kind of depressed and unmotivated to write.**

 **No need to worry though, having come this far it's stupid to quit now. Besides, I don't want to betray this feeling of making things right about this anime.**


	13. Finale Part Three: Realization

**I apologize that this came later than I would have loved to. This week has been a mess, I was struggling to keep up with school, family and other personal stuff. Luckily, I have more time to spare next week so I can get into finishing this up.**

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Finale Part Three: Realization**_

Only a few minutes passed since I finally could run away from my failed death appointment, though I could say it seemed longer than that. The pain in my thigh made me slower as I would have liked, and I had to make sure it didn't bleed that much. In spite of that, I reached the door Hajime pointed me to…

I couldn't say I wasn't nervous, through the door I was looking to was the person responsible of all this mess. Once I stop her, this nightmare will be over… It seemed so unreal and yet so critical, I cannot let myself get careless, even the slightness mistake can cost me the victory… And I couldn't forget that one of the potential people inside this room is a military force… Of course, this wouldn't be that easy…

 _However, I cannot forgive my morals._ I mentally reminded to myself. _Even if I have a gun, don't even think about on killing anyone in this room. Hurt them or make them go unconscious, but don't you dare go in for the kill._ I had enough deaths for today, this week or even the whole month. I was sure if I see someone else dying I will go crazy.

This being clear, I finally breathed in to brace myself for the upcoming fight, and hopefully the last. Bringing the weapon up, I burst into the room kicking down the door and looked at my surroundings.

Inside, the first person that brought my attention horribly was Chisa. She was strapped to a chair just in front of the computer screen, a strange device 'Clockwork-Orange' like keeping her eyes wide open. I didn't need to give the screen a look, as I knew perfectly what she was being forced to watch: The killing video, in other words, the brainwashing video. I frowned and growled in fury; it was a relief that the sisters didn't decide to kill her, but this is something even worse…

 _Chisa… What have they done to you…_ It was heartbreaking to see her like this, and that's why I have to act fast. She's still struggling to free herself from the chair, which means that it's not too late yet.

However, we were not alone in the room… Behind of her stood that freckled girl, Junko's sister, wearing a shocked expression. She was also carrying a pair of long needles on both of her hands, and its intentions were clear in a second. Mukuro was about to perform a lobotomy on Chisa's brain to engrave hard the terrible messages, permanently brainwashing her… _No… No! I won't let you make her a monster!_

"Y-You…!" Mukuro said in shock, clearly not expecting me to appear all of a sudden. Chisa didn't even react… she was too focused on the video to notice my presence, her struggles and moans getting more frantic by the second.

"Release her" I demanded sternly.

Mukuro took a step back and put the needles aside to take out a knife. _She has to get closer to attack me, good. "_ If you're here then that means that our plan has failed and that you have seduced Izuru Kamukura back into hope, just as my sister predicted" She said while taking a fighting stance.

"I simply told him what I thought about all this mess, he was the one who decided to do the most sensible thing. Now, release her" I angrily answered back, now the gun pointing to the Ultimate Soldier.

"Hmph" She smirked. "Acting so cocky just because you're carrying a gun, but are you sure you know how to handle it?" She asked in malicious confident.

"Even if you're more skilled at weapons than I am, a pistol is still a better option than a knife in a long-ranged battle"

"That may be true, but you're still forgetting about one thing"

"Oh, and what would that b-" But before I could have the chance to ask she made her move, it happened so quick that it seemed as if she has just stopped time. When I could finally understand what happened, she had already kicked my weapon away from my hand and pinned me to the wall by my neck… "Reflexes" She answered in a sadistic whisper.

She grabbed my neck hard. I struggled while she was holding me up, my lungs screaming out by the lack of air. I saw her rising up her knife to end me swiftly right before I faintly noticed the outline of the pistol in the brink of the eye. It wasn't too far, I could easily pick it up again if she frees me. So it's now or never, do or die.

With the little strength I could muster, I hit both of our foreheads hard, making her release my neck and held her head in pain while groaning. I felt relief from the air filling up my lungs again. I moved quickly to grab the gun and stand up for the fight.

However, once I turned around to face her she was already charging towards me with the knife on her hand… And before I had time to react, she had already sliced my shoulder deeply… And I screamed, I screamed as I never had in my entire life… I felt numb, as I was slowly slipping to unconsciousness… Yet, my arm was somehow able to move on its own to hit Mukuro on the temple, knocking her out instantly…

Once I made sure she wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, I decided to rest on the wall while I steadied my heavy breaths. Slowly, I was recovering some consciousness and my vision became less blurry. Meanwhile, I was barely keeping both my thigh and shoulder's injuries at bay. The leg seemed to have stopped bleeding for now, but the shoulder was a red mess… I doubt I can move that arm freely for now…

Suddenly, the room got quiet and the light dimmed… _Odd, the lights were never on in the first place when I came here…_ But once I got a good look back at the computer's screen… my injuries became the least of my problems… The video stopped playing as it reached its end… and Chisa wasn't struggling anymore…

"Chisa…?" I asked innocently, just as I child would do to check if there was a monster in their closet… "Chisa…?" I asked again, in hopes that she hadn't heard me… But since she wasn't even trying to look back at me, I began to panic. I ran up in front of her to get her attention, her eyes were opened wide by the device, a blank, empty stare on her gaze…

 _No… This can't be… I cannot be late…_ I frantically began to unstrap her from the chair while I was still trying to talk to her to see if she was even listening. "Come on… You're not gonna give me the silent treatment, ain't ya?" I talked humorously, to try and amuse her… or make me belief that she was fine…

Once she was freed from the chair, her entire body went limp as it rested messily on the chair… In a quick second, she has just turned into a doll… "Oh, I get it… This is another stubborn competition, right? Well, young lady! I wasn't bested by your hands and today won't be an exception!" I said… still trying to lie myself about this…

But the truth was right in front of me. Chisa was limp with a lost stare on her eyes after seeing a brainwashing video… and perhaps after undergoing a lobotomy… Even after all I have done to come this far… was I… too late to save her…?

I went from denial to realization in a second while I grabbed her by the shoulders and squeeze her "Chisa, please, look at me. Don't do this to me…" But I got no response from her "P-Please… I know you're strong enough to get through this…" I didn't realize I was tearing up "Y-You were always there to n-nudge me in the right direction… You were a-always by my side whenever I needed you… Y-You were the one who helped me find a talent… m-make new friends… think that I-I can do big things… Now you can't go a-away and turn crazy just like that…" I took her hands between mines tenderly as I massaged them with my thumb. "Please… I know y-you're in there, listening to me… Don't leave me l-like this… I don't want to l-lose you…"

After all I have been through, I have finally reached my limit… I have endured an enormous amount of psychological abuse and discourage over this week, but now I finally broke apart… I fought to protect myself, I fought to protect my life, I fought to protect my friends… but now that I have lost the person I care about the most… I feel as if all this struggling was for nothing… I came so far with a gift I wasn't aware I had, and yet I couldn't even protect the woman I love…

But now… she's gone… and the woman who rests in front of me is nothing more than the hollow shadow of who she once was… A demented copy that stains the good name of the person whose personality has been distorted and wiped out…

In the end, Junko won… She has managed to fill my whole world with Despair… Maybe… I wasn't that willful as everyone says I am…

"I-I didn't even get the chance… to tell you all t-the things I wanted to tell…" I wasn't even sure if she was listening to me at all… and if she was, the listener was no longer the Chisa I once knew… And yet, I couldn't stop my words… "You just have no idea how important you are to me… I love you, Chisa… I love you… I love you…" I spoke again and again, my sad pleas muffled as I sobbed into her lap…

" **You called me… by my name…"**

I heard a soft voice reaching into my ears… A cold, little hand caressing my head tenderly… I dared to look up with hopeful eyes… to meet with the Chisa's red and puffy ones, probably due to being forced open for so long… She was smiling down at me sweetly, a tiny sparkle on her irises that told me she was indeed Chisa…

As if wanting to really check if I wasn't dreaming, I reached out my hand to stroke her cheek… She did the same as she giggled weakly "Yes, Blank-kun… It's me, I'm right here… and I won't leave you, I promise…"

I felt a sudden pressure on my chest. It wasn't painful, but rather comforting… This wasn't a dream… Chisa was still here… I saved her… "Chisa…" I simply blurt out from pure joy, I couldn't be happier that she was still here with me… And then it hit me… "U-Um… Sorry, I-I mean Yukizome…"

"No no" She said while rising up my head to meet her gaze "I actually like you saying my name…" She said, looking deep into my eyes, as if she was longing for something… We stayed like this for a couple of seconds while I was completely lost in her emerald eyes… I just couldn't get enough of her, not believing that she was still here… with me… "Say…" She began, snapping me up from my trance "… w-what you have said… is true…?"

"Uh?" I asked confused.

"Y-You said you loved me…" She answered shyly while her cheeks turned pink from the embarrassment.

Her question caught me off guard, it seems that she was listening to me after all… which makes the current situation hard to handle… But eventually, my body moved on its own… Both of my hands grabbed her shoulders and I gently pressed my lips with hers… _I know this is not the right moment… and I know she will feel awkward around me from now on… I just messed up our friendship, but right now I need this… I need to make sure she's here, and that she's still Chisa…_

But then, I found myself getting kissed back… She was actually kissing me back… _Wait… Does this mean… that she loves me too…?_ That thought wandered my mind for a while… Soon enough, the kiss turned passionate as she wrapped her hands around my neck and I wrapped mines around her hips, bringing her closer to feel her body, feel that she was here, that this wasn't a hopeful dream and that I wouldn't wake up to see her turned into a psychopath…

After half a minute of making sure we were there, we separated our tongues and looked at each other's eye. "I'm sorry…" I said, looking down in shame.

She responded by bringing my chin up and giving me a quick final kiss while giggling. "It's okay… I love you too, silly…"

"What…? But I-I'm your student!"

"That didn't stop you from kissing your teacher, young man!" She scolded humorously… just like the good old days…

"B-But what about Munakata-san?! Weren't you in love with him?" I wasn't sure why I was even resisting to accept that Chisa may have a liking for me too… Maybe I was still trying to make sure this wasn't a dream… It seemed too good to be true.

"I do agree that Kyosuke and I may have a strong bond… and that I may had a crush on him a while ago… But I simply consider him one of my best friends!" She stated that with such joy and peace… Even after everything she's been through, even after I thought I lost her, she always manages to pull up a smile and cheer me up… There was no mistake, this was Chisa, I had no doubt "Besides… You're a lot nicer… and kinder…" She said shyly as her cheeks turned pink. I couldn't help but smile at the cuteness of the little gesture and pulled her close for a tight hug… just like the old times…

For a moment, she hugged back… until the magic of the moment was broken when she smelled it, and took a good look at my injuries. "You're hurt!" She gasped in worry.

"Oh right, this is nothing…" It was true for the leg… the shoulder was a completely different story.

"Don't say that!" She quickly made me sit up on the chair and pulled some bandages and disinfectant from her apron. _Uh, very resourceful… How convenient._ The scene before me was… so familiar. Sitting down, hurt, and Chisa taking care of it… I let the warmth of the scene play out, no matter if the injuries stung from the disinfectant… But there was something I simply had to ask now.

"Are you okay…?"

"Uh?" She asked, taken aback by my question.

"That video… You watched it entirely, and I wasn't even able to turn that damn screen off… You seemed in so much pain…" I said as the horrible images of Chisa strapped to this very same chair and struggling to free herself… It gave me the creeps…

"Y-Yes, it's okay, I'm alright" She reassured "It's just that… I didn't think that someone could have recorded such… atrocity…" She seemed lost in thought for a second, remembering the morbid messages she was put through "But… I thought about you, you know…?"

"Really…?"

"Yeah! Sometime midway the video had started… I heard your voice… I felt so calm, I knew if you were here you could do this… I felt safe…" _So she could hear me after all… That's a relief…_ For a second, Chisa's expression turned sterner as she looked back at me in sadness "What Enoshima-san said… is true…? You've seen that video before…?"

"Yes…" I confessed "The video was sent along the information about the human experiment to the reserve students. That's why they are getting so aggressive, they have been brainwashed… and yes, I saw it too…" I wished I didn't have to tell her, but she has already seen the video… The damage has already been done, and she could get over it, I have no reason now to hide the fact from her.

"God… I-I'm so sorry…" She said as she massaged my hands tenderly. Her sad expression turned to a little smile "But look at you now… Even after all the hell you've been through, despite everything… it's still you… I knew you could do this… that no one will be able to drag you down…"

 _Wait… Does this mean…?_ "You… You knew I was the Ultimate Willful from the start…?"

"Yes… I did" She admitted with a big smile "But don't worry, this doesn't mean that you're not the Ultimate Psychologist either! It's not that odd to have two talents, there's even a student in class 78 who has two talents too!" She reassured.

"But… why did you keep it a secret? You sounded pretty convinced when I found out that I was the Ultimate Psychologist!"

"Didn't I tell you back when? That was something I wanted you to find out!" She winked playfully.

 _So I really have two talents… Who could have ever thought it would come to this…?_ Suddenly, I began to remember my first days here at Hope's Peak Academy… A single, plain student, who didn't find anything worth the trouble, who simply thought about enjoying life as it comes without expecting big achievements… And now, I have two Ultimate Talents…

And I can only thank Chisa for all the hard work she has put into me, to allow me to be able to look up to make something special without giving up on my lovely simple way of living… _Thank you, Chisa…_

We stayed quiet for the next couple of seconds, while she was finishing the last knots on my bandages. There was something that has been bugging me since I first saw her when I confronted Junko… How did she end up mixed into all of this mess… "Tell me, Yukizome… Just what in the world were you doing down here?" I asked with a hint of upset in my voice, remembering the horrible sensations I had during my exchange with the Despair fetishist.

"And what did you expected me to do…?" She asked in an equally upset whisper "Even after I told you not to go out of the building, you just went outside on your own without even telling me… Do you have any idea all the fear I felt when I saw that note you left on the wall…?" Her quivered for a brief moment, making me feel guilty… I had no idea she would react this way, but I guess I had to see it coming considering the recent events… and our current predicament… I guess I just was too stupid to notice it… "Moreover, when I discovered this place and saw Nanami-san and Komaeda-kun down here with that woman… I just can't stay behind and see someone else hurt my precious students…"

I stayed quiet in shame, I've made Chisa felt this way which ended up with her looking for us… In a way, I'm responsible she had to endure such mental abuse… I had no right to complain in this situation…

"But more importantly…" She continued, now looking up to me with an angered expression "What were YOU doing down here?"

"O-Oh…" I answered nervously… I kind of saw it coming, but I would have wished it didn't come to this… "W-Well, you see… as you already know we went outside to look for Tsumiki-san… At some point, when I separated from the group I was in and found her, but she told me there was something I needed to see here and-" _Wait a second… Oh no…_

Reality struck me hard when I remembered that this wasn't over yet… It was now that I realized that Junko was nowhere to be seen, and that Mikan must be bringing the rest here by now… Bringing them to a trap to brainwash them…

"No…" I whispered to myself. _There is no time for this... We have to get to them right now…!_ I wished I could answer to anything Chisa needed to know at the moment, but right now there is something much more pressing to take care of. "Y-Yukizome, we need to get out of here now"

"Uh, w-why?" She asked in worry, seeing my sudden rush and nervousness all of a sudden.

"Enoshima said that Tsumiki-san is still under the effects of the brainwashing and right now she must be on her way of bringing the rest here!"

"And she has set a trap to brainwash them too…" Chisa repeated in horror as she remembered the conversation I had with Junko. "You're right, we need to get out of here now!"

"That will not be necessary" I calm voice responded from the door, a voice I recognized well… I looked at its source to find the guy I've just talked to minutes ago… Hajime Hinata, still under that messy, long, black hair and wearing his tuxedo.

I stood protectively in front of Chisa, I had no way to know if who I was talking to right then was indeed Hajime Hinata… or if he was still Izuru Kamukura… "Hinata-kun…?" Chisa asked in disbelief at the sight of the student, still unable to pass on the fact he had been exposed to an immoral experiment.

"It's been so long… Blank-san…" He said… with an evident tone of joy in his voice… His eyes were tender at the moment… Could it be that…?

"Hinata-san…?" I asked hopeful.

"The one and only!" He exclaimed with excitement…

"But… how? Weren't your personality and memories wiped off when you were being experimented on?" I asked uncertain, maybe kind of sceptical from the relief that I've just got back a friend…

"Well, not quite…" He responded in confusion; he didn't believe the current situation either. "They weren't exactly wiped out. Rather, they were buried down under all the conditioning they put onto me… or something like that"

"But I don't get it" This time it was Chisa who asked. "How were you able to get over it?"

"It was all thanks to Blank-san…" He said with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude in his voice.

"M-Me?"

"Back when you finished your conversation with Enoshima-san and I was about to finish you off… you weren't going to give up anytime soon, even if the stakes were against you… Everything you said at that moment, I don't know, it was just as if you were able to light up the dark room I was trapped into… As if you could turn to me and slap me hard, telling me to stop saying nonsense… You made me realize what I was doing and who I turned into…" He looked at his palms, as if he was talking to himself and trying to digest everything that he has done…

But the look he gave me right after that was full of confidence. He has accepted what he has done, and he's ready to face the consequences "You really saved me from myself back there, Blank-san…"

I felt a slight tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find Chisa looking at me with an expression full of pride… I smiled back at her and held her hand tight… _So this is what both of my talents had achieved together…_

"Congratulations, Blank-san. Deep down, I knew you were special in some way" He added.

"Oh, enough of that! It's not like I made a miracle here or anything!" I said in embarrassment "Besides, I should be the one congratulating YOU! You were always the one who would complain that you had no talent. And now look, the Ultimate Hope, the one who has every talent known! Aren't ya greedy?" I said with a fake scolding tone.

"H-Hey! I-It's not like I asked for them or anything!" He quickly answered nervously, which only served to make Chisa and I giggle.

"Even so, it's good to have you back" I finally responded with relief. Now it was time to come back to the matter at hand "Anyway, what did you try to mean when you said that it wouldn't be necessary?"

Hajime perked up when I brought back the topic. "Oh, r-right. I mean that it's not necessary that you go and look for your classmates… because they are already here…"

My blood turned cold when he said that… If Chiaki and the rest are already here… then we have not much time… "Where are they?" I asked sternly.

"They have been split…" He said as he walked to the computer and turned it on "… but I think you should see it for yourself…" It was clear that I wouldn't like what I was about to see, judging from his sad expression… I moved to the computer screen hesitantly as Chisa inched closer too. She was about to witness her students in danger so it was obvious that she would feel scared as well…

The computer showed a camera broadcast of another room inside this facility. I could recognize all my classmates standing in the middle of the room while they seemed to be looking at several screens on the walls. However, they looked… off… The way they had their gaze fixed on the screens was disturbing, it was as if they have been possessed. _What are they looking at…?_

I tried my best to focus on what they were looking so directly, but it was a little hard from where the camera was. I eventually could make out the images on the screen… and it wasn't good…

It was Chiaki. She was all alone in a pretty dark hallway, wherever should she be. She was so heavily injured that she was hardly standing on her feet. In spite of that, she was going forward nonetheless… "Nanami-san…" I heard Chisa's soft, quivering voice just beside me…

I, too, was shivering badly… I was expecting Junko to use the killing video to mess them up… This was much worse, she was forcing them to witness their classmate's torture while they cannot do anything to help her… "Junko Enoshima…" I muttered in hatred as I directed my gaze towards Hajime once again.

"I know you want to make her pay for this just as I do, Blank-san. But right now they need us… Nanami-san needs us…" He said melancholically "I know where they are, but we need to separate in order to save them in time…"

"Understood" I nodded in determination.

We all agreed to tie up Mukuro before we got out of the room. We have to make sure she doesn't move from where she is once she wakes up. And if she does, the rope should buy us enough time to save my classmates and get out of here in time… or so I hope…

"Blank-san…" Hajime said nervously just as we were about to split "If you don't mind, I would like to take care of Nanami-san personally…" He added in a shy whisper. It made me chuckle in amusement, seeing that he still cared of Chiaki after so much time…

"Sure thing, pal" I winked at him in companionship "I'll go and save the others then"

"I'll go with you" Chisa said confidently. Her eyes glowed with the same determination as mines… But I cannot afford to risk her life any further.

"No, you will go back to the academy, where you can be safe".

"What?! You can't be serious!" She said outraged "My students are in danger and you're asking me to stay back?! I can't let you put yourself in danger! Just let me-!"

"Chisa" I said dead serious, which made her to stop on her tracks in bewilderment "You've suffered too much for a day, I am not going to let you get captured again" She seemed as if she wanted to protest "Look… we can't tell what will happen when we reach them… There's no guarantee that we get out of here as ourselves… or if we can escape alive… I'd rather get killed knowing that you are safe than ending up both dead…" I said as I took her hands and looked at her eyes in sadness… "You mentioned that Munakata was already in the school grounds, correct? Go and tell him what we have seen down here. If Enoshima somehow manages to escape, at least the world will know what she's trying to do and what she's capable of… You have already pushed yourself to your limits too much, allow me to finish the job this time around… So please… Please, just go somewhere else safe… I'm begging you…"

She looked at me astonished for a couple of seconds until tears filled her eyes and clutched to my clothes tightly "God… Y-You're so selfish…" She said while her body trembled as jelly. I held her tightly and reassured her that everything will turn out okay…

Eventually, she released my clothes and looked back at me with her red, puffy eyes… but wearing an irritated expression "A-Alright, I'll let you do this… But I promise you this… I-If you dare to die on me… I-I will n-never forgive you…" She was trying so hard to sound strict… and yet her fear got the best of her and made her voice lose strength…

I smiled at her for a last time and gave her a quick kiss, much to her surprise "I won't, you can count on that…"

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Curious, this chapter was the scene I was craving to write the most and turned out to be the least I liked to fill… I guess I'm just too demanding with myself. It was fine while I wrote about Mukuro's encounter and my own breakdown when I thought Chisa had been brainwashed, the kiss and everything around it was fine too. It was barely before Hajime arrived that I was struggling to write…**

 **Anyways, this was intended to cover more but considering that I was late in the upload and that this had a decent length I decided to post this up as it is now.**

 **The next one should be the last… unless…**


	14. Finale Part Four: Hope

**Holy shit, I had forgotten how painful Chiaki's torture looked like… and this chapter forced me to witness it a good couple of times… You can guess now how many 'ouch's I blurted while writing this. Wouldn't recommend it, I tell ya.**

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Finale Part Four: Hope**_

 **Chiaki Nanami's P.O.V**

 _Ugh… My head… Where am I…?_

I held my head tightly. It was throbbing and it hurt pretty badly, I must have hit it at some point… I remained on the floor for a couple of minutes while I waited for the pain to soothe. Once I finally could focus on something else that wasn't my own headache I tried to sit up and look at my surroundings…

I could barely make out anything specific. Aside from the cold floor, the rest of the room was pitch-black… _Where is this place…?_ I struggled to remember what have happened right before I blacked out, which proved to be harder than I expected… considering my own headache… I just hope I don't end up amnesiac…

 _Let's see… I'm Chiaki Nanami, Ultimate Gamer student at Hope's Peak Academy…My favorite console is the Game Girl and my favorite game is Gala Omega… I often get absorbed by videogames that I don't focus on my surroundings… or sleep…_ I took a sudden deep breath when I noticed the lack of air in my lungs… _or breathe…_

That is when suddenly all my memories came back…! _That's right, we went out to look for Tsumiki-san… Komaeda-kun and I ended up on an underground secret building under the school and met Junko Enoshima… She said something about watching a video right before Sensei came to our rescue and told us to leave! That's how we went back down to rescue her back…!_

 _Oh… I remember too… At some point, Tsumiki-san said that there was something she needed to tell me… and that's when she pushed me… down here… That must be the moment I fell unconscious…_ I couldn't understand it… Why did Tsumiki-san push me here…? What was her idea…?

I didn't want to think bad on her… but the truth is that she left me alone who-knows-where… I don't like to be alone, after all the effort I put to share moments and create memories with the others, I seriously don't want to be left alone…

How much time have I been out…? Where are the others…? Where is Sensei…? Those questions were tormenting me in this situation of weakness… _No… What are you doing, Nanami? Now's not the time to sob in the corner! Sensei said it, you must keep your classmates together! I cannot stay here while my classmates are probably in danger! Now is the time to act!_ I stood up in decision. My classmates need me, and Sensei too. I couldn't let them down right when they needed me! I smiled to myself a little that I may have been inspired from Blank-kun's own confidence…

However… My words fell on deaf ears once I stood up and looked at the dark hallway that loomed before me… It made me feel that it was easier said than done… How can I get myself to help the others if I don't even know where to go…?

But suddenly, as if fate itself was hearing my inner plights, a square light illuminated the room I was in, blinding me for a second. It looked like a big television fixed on the wall… and there was a person in it…

"You may be asking 'why did Tsumiki-san betray me?'"

 _No… It can't be…_ I recognized the voice from the woman at the other side of the screen… It was a voice I knew I would hear soon… but I would have never guessed that it would be this way… _No… Anyone but you…_

"That's obvious!" Junko Enoshima said in excitement from the other side of the screen. "I had her see watch my lil' video of despair I created!"

"Video… of despair…?" I heard her saying something about a video before I escaped with Komaeda-kun… but what does she mean with 'despair video'…?

"Uh? You haven't heard about it? It's a brainwashing video film I made with techniques Mitarai-san showed me" _What…? A brainwashing video…?_ "Using that video, I tweaked her brain a little bit!" She said with morbid amusement.

"That's…! That's horrible…!" I couldn't even speak coherently anymore… _She has clearly done something to Hinata-kun, how else would he shot Komaeda-kun…? She must have brainwashed him too…! Why…? What is she trying to do…?!_ The more I thought about it, the more anxious I felt… That is why Tsumiki-san pushed me down here, she was conditioned to betray me by her! Who could be so heartless?!

"But it's still just a prototype. I feel I'm still a step away from perfecting it. How do I put this? It's like there's still not enough despair…" She said as she rested her head on her hand bored… just to shift straight once again with a wide grin "While I was thinking that, I heard about you and had an idea…"

My blood ran cold once I heard those words… _She has thought… about me…? Oh no, she is planning on using me in some way…!_ I stood in my place, paralyzed by fear while she explained her idea "You'll be the one who will complete my despair video!"

Once she said that, the lights turned on in a second, forcing me to cover my eyes to the blinding light while my vision adjusted… I could finally see the entire hallway… or what I have wished to be a hallway…

It seemed like a labyrinth of sorts, filled with screens on everyone wall that illuminated the entire track. I could faintly notice a couple of words in red on the screen I've been talking with Enoshima-san just now, they red 'Punishment Time'… and that was when my mind made the connections… _She says she wants me in her despair video… She wants me to go into this labyrinth to meet my 'Punishment Time'… It is clear what it's going on, she wants to kill me… while putting on a show of my own death…_ My legs shock in anticipation, knowing that there was no escaping from this… and that I was on my own…

A year back I would have ran away… I would have turned around and deny that this was happening… But that Chiaki Nanami is not here anymore… My classmates, Sensei, Hinata-kun… Right now they need me, and I'm not going to abandon them like this…!

I took a hesitant step further, still anxious that I may be going for my own end… If this is my 'Punishment Time' I must expect traps on my way… I must be careful…

* * *

"She's already reached the midpoint of the death dungeon and its deadly traps! That's our Nanami-chan, Ultimate Gamer student! She dodges traps that usually kill those who've never seen them!" Enoshima-san's voice cheered from the countless screens of the dungeon.

She says I've already covered the half of this endless labyrinth… I don't know if that's true… To me, I could swear that I've been running for hours and I had no way to know where the exit was… There were some doors scattered around the different hallways of this dungeon, but they were either fake, painted on the wall or connected two hallways… It only served to destroy my already poor sense of direction… I felt as if I was running in circles…

On the other hand, I think I've been having luck with traps so far… This dungeon is set just like any other dungeon in an adventure-puzzle game, so I could predict most of the traps I found… However, there was a quick lance that came from the wall that I didn't see… I saw it before it could hit me, but I couldn't dodge in time, which resulted on a deep cut through my arm… It was bleeding a lot and it hurt so bad…

I think that was the moment everything started to fall apart… The pain made me anxious and I was having a hard time focusing on the possible traps on the way, barely dodging them in time…

Right now, I'm running as fast as I can to the other side of the corridor I was in while I held tightly my bleeding arm… I could still hear the little drops of blood I was leaving on my track… "But this is when things get tough!" Enoshima-san stated. "C'mon, Nanami-chan! You can make it back to your friends!"

I wished I could have paid more attention right after she spoken… because that was when I stepped on a pressure plate, a trap… A good number of spikes rose up from the floor, one of them piercing through my foot… I couldn't do any other thing but scream, scream to the top of my lungs… I laid down on the floor, looking at the pointy metallic spike that skewered my foot… The shoe was covered in blood, but I could care less about it, the pain was unbearable, it made the previous headache sound like a joke… I have thought I heard Enoshima-san saying something, but I couldn't even listen…

I forcefully tried to stick my leg out of the spike while I struggled to remain calm, but it was already difficult… The pain made my whole my body shake anxiously from the sudden weakness… I couldn't even stop the tears that formed on my eyelids…

I remained on the floor for a couple of seconds while I tried to steady my breathing and accustom myself to the pain in my foot. Then, I stood up clumsily and walked on my good leg… "… that your classmates were all scattered at first…" I could make out from Enoshima-san's speech in the end… "But there was one female student who brought them all together…"

"I'll… make it back… to the others…" I said between gasps to myself, trying to keep myself focused on my goal and not to think on the pain… Suddenly, I heard a loud, deep bang coming from behind me… I felt the need to stop and look back at the source of the sound… only to find a giant boulder coming in my way… _No… No no no!_ This was going to hurt, but I needed to run! I had to jump pathetically on my good leg throughout the corridor to exceed the boulder's speed. "That's what made you catch my eye, you know?" Enoshima-san continued…

Before I could even have time to react, two smaller balls came flying from the other side of the hallway. They weren't too big, but they surely were heavy enough to do a good number on me… One of them hit me on the belly and forced the air out of my lungs in a flash, making me gag for a couple of seconds. The other hit me on the forehead, making a small contusion just above my right eye… I could also feel a warm liquid running down my face after that… Blood…

"I will… make it back…" I insisted… Even how hard this was being, I needed to follow Blank-kun's example… I can't give up now… I can't… give up… _How…? How can I not give up… when I'm about to die…?_ My thoughts were interrupted by a metallic sound… it sounded like… a chainsaw…?

But just when I thought on it, I saw a bunch of chainsaws coming from the floor and walls…! It made my heart skip a bit… _If one of these hit me I would be done for good…!_ It hurt to move as injured as I was, but I somehow managed to dodge the sharp disks, never forgetting about the giant ball behind that threatened to squash me…

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity, I could finally find an intersection where the corridor split in two. I took advantage of this crossing path to get rid of the boulder, which rolled away to the opposite hallway I took… I sighed in relief, knowing that there was at least one thing less to keep an eye on. Right now, every little thing counts…

"I won't lose… I won't let you beat me…!" I yelled to the nearest screen now that some of my confidence has come back. I'm sure I look pathetic right now, injured from head to toe and completely soaked in my own blood… But I could care less about that... "My classmates, Yukizome-sensei and I… will definitely stop you!"

"Exactly!" She replied in excitement… making me nervously uncertain "That's exactly the hope I want to crush! The hope you all believe in! After all, as the start of despair, the end of hope seems more than appropriate!" I frowned at her words, it was beginning to anger me… _She just wants to make a fool of us, but I'll prove her words wrong…_ Nevertheless, I went on the best as my injured foot would let me. "Hurry up! Get those legs moving and run! When you die, the video will throw you everyone into despair! If you don't want that, get running!"

As an automatic response, my neck unconsciously turned up and made me look at some cameras fixed on the ceiling… Were those here all the time…? _Of course they were, she's recording all of this… She will use my own death to corrupt my friends… I can't let her use me as her own tool, so the only thing I need to do is stay alive, right…? Right…?_ And yet, I knew, deep down in my heart, that it wouldn't be as easy as saying it… "I will not… give up…" I repeated once again… maybe for the sake of my own sanity…

"For Nanami-chan, who's trying so hard, it's Chance Time!" Enoshima-san said after some time of walking "Maybe the power of friendship will cause a miracle to happen! I'll wait ten seconds for you" _What…? What does she mean by that…?_ She didn't seem like she would be explaining this… 'Chance Time' soon, and knowing her it surely won't be an actual chance… But what does she mean with ten seconds…?

"Ten…" _What…? No… No!_ I was paralyzed… I had no idea what this countdown was for…

"Nine…" But either way, it was clear that I had to get out of there fast… I walked with difficulty to through the rest of the hallway…

"Eight…" Maybe this is what she wants… For me to panic and ran frantically without considering where I was going…

"Seven…" Each time she counted I would feel my heart beating faster… She was getting exactly what she wanted, I feared for what could happen once the countdown reaches zero… It was the fear of the unknown…

I expected for Enoshima-san to count six… but she wasn't… _What is this…? Why isn't she counting down anymore…?_ I instinctively ran a little faster to get as far as I could from there… but just as I thought… it was just as she wanted me to…

Right when I was about to turn a corner, a long, sharp needle came from under the floor and pierced through my thigh… It was nothing compared to when my foot was skewered… No, this was much, much worse… I bet the scream I left out would have shaken the Devil himself… I couldn't stand it… I feel like I'm going to die…

"Whoops! I forgot! I'm supposed to be despairfully fickle" Enoshima-san said as if this was simply a game for her… I couldn't react or respond to her… I was busy trying to stick my leg out of the needle, a heavy blur clouding my vision from the pain every time I moved… "And besides, a miracle will never happen. Your classmates won't come" She said as she grinned, opposing to the severe tone she used… Tears formed on my eyes… Those words have finally broken my shield… and I was finally taking her words as the truth… "That's right! There won't any miracles!"

And despite everything… I stood up… I stood up and walked forward pathetically… I didn't want to believe it, it simply had to be a lie… This cannot end like this… I cannot die without seeing my friends… for the last time… I don't want to die here… Hinata-kun… Save me…

"Chiaki Nanami. Loved by everyone, trusted by everyone… Your death will stain them all with despair!"

"I can't lose…" Those words escaped my lips on their own… my whole body was moving on its own… I didn't understand it, how could I possibly find any more strength when I feel so defeated…? Is this… what hope is like…? It feels so empowering, so reassuring… so dangerous… "I… We… We'll never lose to you!" I finally yelled out in rage to the endless grinning Enoshimas who looked at me, entertained by my own suffering… "My classmates… will come for me, I know it! I won't end here!"

Everything got silent after that… The only sounds that kept me company where my own clumsy footsteps and gasps… I was still leaning on the wall to keep me balanced… I tried my best to focus my good eye on my surroundings in the search of more possible traps… even if it meant to see Enoshima-san's grin everywhere… Even her own demonic laughter could be heard as an echo throughout the dungeon… as a deadly song that chanted my doom…

It has been already a good time of walking, and I was beginning to feel exhausted… I had lost too much blood, and I feel as I could fall down anytime soon… But I can't afford to rest because if I do… I probably won't wake up…

But as I lifted my gaze to the door at the end of the corridor, my heart skipped a beat once I read the word written on it… GOAL. _This is it, this is the end… Once I reach that door, it will all over… Just a little more…_ I didn't think about the possibility of it being a trap… or I simply ignored it… The only thing I wanted to do is end this, end this suffering, end this nightmare… I just want to see my friends, I just want to see sensei… I just want to see Hinata-kun…

I reached out and grabbed the doorknob with my shaking hand, staining it with blood. I took a moment to breathe, noticing that my consciousness was finally slipping away… I just had a few seconds left before I sleep…

However, right before my vision blurred, I felt the doorknob turning on my grip… but I wasn't moving it… _Uh…? What is… happening…?_ I was probably too weakened to notice that someone else was opening the door from the other side… In the end, the door opened up… and I could distinguish the shape of a person right in front of me… before my body gave in the pain and made me fall unconscious…

* * *

 **Néstor Blank's P.O.V**

I never would have guessed how large this facility could be, I could swear that I've been running since forever. The pain on my leg had subsided considerably, so I was able to run kind of fast. The injury on my shoulder was still pretty recent so it still hurt a lot, I just hope I don't engage in a physical struggle later…

As I ran to the destination Hajime pointed me to go, I went over that happened to clear what has been done and what still needs to be done. _Okay, let's see… I've found and taken back Hajime from his la-la land… I prevented Chisa from being brainwashed and sent her off somewhere safe… Chiaki's whereabouts are unknown to me but Hajime is taking care of that, so I guess she'll be fine too… The others are on the brink of the despair trip but I'm already onto that… Mukuro is tied up and unconscious… This just leaves out two people: Junko Enoshima. Not even Hajime can tell me where she is exactly, but at least she's still down here. Moreover, without her sister or Izuru she's not a real threat by herself. The other person is Ryouta Mitarai. He was supposed to be down here, but I haven't seen him… Could have he escaped? Seems likely… We'll get to him once we're done down here._

As I finished that thought, I found a huge red door ahead of me. It was extremely imposing… it screamed 'Final Boss' all over the place… I even gulped from the nervousness that had been built in my body… _This is it… Here's where they are…_ I was hesitant at first… It's going to be hard to see all my friends being mentally screwed up… However, it will not be as hard as seeing Chisa forcefully strapped on a chair or Chiaki heavily injured. Compared to that, this was nothing.

After regaining my composure and taking a deep breath, I walked up with confidence and opened up the heavy door…

Once inside, I took a moment to watch the room intently. It was a huge cylindrical room, a high throne on the back and a couple of benches in the middle that formed a circle. It gave me the vibe of a meeting room of sorts… but that wasn't important at the moment. What caught my attention was that everyone was here, right beside the benches. They were all looking at the screens with terror… Screens that showed Chiaki's current condition… I gave a quick glance at her situation, she was walking with difficulty through a dark hallway, severe injuries scattered throughout her body… It wasn't a pleasant sight to be looking at…

I had the urge to run back, to assist Hajime in his rescue. Chiaki was in a greater danger than the others, and by saving her we would save them too in some way. But we needed to save as much time as we could, so I had to reluctantly leave that job to Hajime…

"Q-Quick… We need to save her…!" I heard Mahiru's weak voice warning the others at the other side of the room.

"Where is she?!" Gundham followed in frustration.

"It doesn't matter where… Let's just… start looking…!" Akane said, less confident as I would expect her to sound.

 _I need to attract their attention_ "Hey, guys! It's alright! She's going to be okay!" I yelled while I walked towards them calmly to try my best not startle them.

"Hey… W-Weren't you going to save Nanami…?" Kazuichi replied to Mahiru, losing determination in his own voice…

"I'd love to… but…" Nekomaru, even the ever-so powerful Nekomaru sounded so meek… _What's happening? Hadn't they heard me?_

"My body… it won't move…" Sonia spoke in realization, making the rest gasp once they found out she was right. _They can't move?! That must be the video they are watching, Junko sure has worked on her brainwashing techniques…_

"Guys! You must not look at the screens! Focus on my voice and my voice alone, come on!" I yelled frantically as I tried to shake them to tear their gaze away from the screens, but to no avail…

"You idiot… Release Nanami…" Fuyuhiko complained with difficulty.

"Stop it… Make it stop…!" Teruteru followed as his voice quivered in sadness.

"Nanami-san… No more… I don't want to see this…" Even the annoying Hiyoko was tearing up before such horrible spectacle… and yet, no one seemed willing to look away…

 _This is ridiculous! Despite being forced to watch it, Chisa managed to resist just fine! But they are not being forced to watch this! So why are they not moving an inch?!_ I furiously shifted my gaze entirely on the video while I tried to understand what could have Junko done differently, assured that my Ultimate Willful would prevent me from going nuts.

Not long after I watched Chiaki's suffering I understood the reasoning behind the power of this video… The Student Council video that Chisa, the reserve students and I watched was a 'recorded' video… Nobody had the opportunity to prevent what was happening in it… This, however, was a 'live' snuff video… The despair behind this one lies in the fact that what we're seeing is currently happening… The person in the video is currently living this hell… That surely sounded despairful enough…

However, there was one more fact that topped this experience: The victim this time around was a person we knew… Not just that, it was a person we highly respected and appreciated… Chiaki was the class representative, she was the person who kept us together as a group… and as friends… Everyone in the class loved her… and the more you love someone, the more painful it is to see that person suffer… That is the secret behind this brainwashing session…

"H-Hey, guys! I'm serious! Don't let this fool you! Nanami-san will be fine, you've got to believe me…!" It was useless. They were so focused on our friend's torture that they couldn't even listen to what I was saying… Even their eyes were dull… as if despair was crawling down into them through their pupils…

This is bad, at this rate they will surely fall into despair. I need to get their attention somehow, but that was even harder than I once thought it would be. How could I shift their attention from our soon-to-be-dead friend?

Well, it was obvious after a couple of seconds of thinking upside-down. _If you cannot make them focus on another thing, simply destroy whatever they are focusing on._ This being clear, I took out the gun Hajime gave me and looked at it with a smirk. It took no less than a few seconds to shot down each and every screen on the room.

It turned out that the sound of the gun was enough to shake them off their trance by itself, but at least they couldn't look at the screens anymore. As I would have expected, they were disoriented for a couple of seconds.

"Ugh… My head…"

"I feel so dizzy…"

"Guys… I think I'm gonna throw up…"

"Are you guys alright?" I asked softly, again to try not to startle them.

"Uh…? Blank-san…?" Nekomaru asked as he and the rest were finally conscience of the situation.

"When did you get down here? Where have you been all this time?" Fuyuhiko asked in confusion.

"Um, it's kind of a long story… I'll tell you later but right now we need to get out of here" I answered a little impatiently seeing that everyone was perfectly enough.

"W-Wait…! We cannot leave yet!" Mahiru interjected after remembering what they have just seen.

"That's right! Nanami-san's danger! How could you tell us to go and leave her behind?!" Hiyoko yelled in anger.

"Yeah, I suppose you would be worried about her. But don't worry, she'll be fine, trust me" I tried to shrug it off to leave this place as soon as possible, but after seeing the expression of utter confusion of my classmates I supposed that we will not be going anywhere until they understood the full story… It was understandable. They have just seen a friend struggling between life and death, and then I come out of nowhere and tell them she will be fine? Not even I would gladly believe my own words, no matter how good they sounded.

"Okay, listen up because this is going to be long" I said while shifting to a more comfortable position. No one in the room seemed comfortable with the idea of staying behind while Chiaki is probably dying out there, but they decided to listen to me intently.

"Alright. Back when we were out looking for Tsumiki-san, I split with Komaeda-san and Nanami-san…" I began my story, earning a nod from the lucky student who seemed to remember "At some point, I went ahead on my own. Later, somehow I managed to trip and fall down here through a secret entrance…" I gave a quick glance to Mikan, who nodded innocently. As I have expected, she was not aware that she was the one who pushed me in the first place, either she's feigning ignorance or doesn't remember doing it… Either way, this was a clear sign that she was still under Junko's control… This could be problematic…

"What happened then…?" Teruteru asked with a hint of fear in his voice, making me snap of my own trance.

"Right…" I coughed to clear up my thoughts "I was found later by… Enoshima-san's accomplice, who brought me to an arranged meeting with Enoshima-san herself…" The others gasped in terror… I bet the mere thought of being alone with the mastermind was enough to make them rock in the corner… "Komaeda-san"

"Hm?" The boy in question perked up when I talked to him.

"Yukizome-san told me you and Nanami-san had been here before coming to her rescue. This means you must have seen the accomplice, correct?"

"Ah! You mean that boy with the long hair? Yes, I remember him… To think that he bore a greater luck than mine…" He drifted off as he remembered whatever happened back there…

"Wait a second! You have seen Yukizome-sensei?!" Sonia asked with hopeful eyes.

"Where is she?! Is she alright?!" Ibuki followed just as worried.

"Calm down, she's fine. We found her not so long ago, but I decided to send her back to the academy where she is safe while we came here to rescue you" My reply seemed to suffice them as they sighed in relief.

"Hold on… 'We'?" Peko pointed with a quizzical expression. I just nodded lightly to her confusion.

"That's what I was getting at… It turns out that Enoshima-san's accomplice was a former classmate of mine" The rest gasped in surprise "Somehow I managed to make him come to his senses and help me. We decided to split up and that's how I rescued you all. He must be on his way to safe Nanami-san" I concluded confidently to make them see everything was fine now. However, no one seemed so certain…

"How can you be so sure that he will not turn against us and kill Nanami-san…?" Mahiru asked in fear… Her question made me look at them all, they seemed so shaken… so petrified… Seeing Chiaki in such distress must have hit them hard… It made me feel so sad…

"It's okay" That's why I need to be strong. Sure, as the Ultimate Psychologist I can cheer them up, but I could never compare to the strong leadership Chiaki had. That's how she managed to keep them in high spirits as a group, that's why we appreciate her so much. But she's not here now, so I must be the one who plays her role, just for this time. "I know the guy quite well, he will not turn against us, especially if Nanami-san's life is at risk" I answered nonchalantly to reassure the rest.

"Well… If Blank-kun trusts him then I have no complains!" Akane answered while she joyfully brought her hands behind her head comfortably.

"Yes. Blank-san has always made very good decisions, I'll not doubt him either" I didn't quite recognize the guy who spoke right now, but judging from his expression, tone and… chubby appearance, I think I can safely assume he's Imposter. _So this is Imposter's true face… Interesting._

"I, Gundham Tanaka, shall thank you for lending us your power in such difficult affair!" I smiled with glee seeing that my friends were still themselves after experiencing such a nightmare… _Good job, guys…_

"So… what are we gonna do now?" Kazuichi asked uncertain after a couple of seconds of silence.

"We'll go back to the academy and wait for my friend to bring Nanami-san back. Yukizome-san must also be warning the authorities of Enoshima-san's… 'mischief', so we can rest assure that she will not go far" I clarified as I saw a spark of hope glowing on their eyes, knowing that the culprit behind all of this will be finally stopped. "Is everything clear?"

"Yes!" They all replied with a bad timing, which was the perfect opportunity to laugh and help them relax, help them see everything will finally begin to go alright…

 _Oh… No, wait. There's still something that needs to be done._ The words that I used just now… 'that they were still themselves'… wasn't exactly true… There was still **one** single person who needed to be brought back, and I won't rest my case until **she** is.

"Oh, by the way… Tsumiki-san…?" I said as I turned around to face the nurse, who looked surprised. "Could I speak with you for a second?"

"U-Uh? M-Me?" _She's stuttering again… Is she being truthful or is she acting…?_ This is just a theory, and I'm not even sure if it will work as I want, but it sounds reasonable in my mind. Through talking, through my Ultimate Psychologist talent, I was able to bring back Hajime from his conditioning… I have no reason to believe that the 'Kamukura Project''s experiments work the same way as Junko's killing videos… But there was a chance that I could "wash back" Mikan's mind…

 _I guess I'll have to find out…_ "Tsumiki-san, by some chance do you remember seeing or talking with me today?"

"U-Um… N-No, I've been kidnapped down here for a-a long time… I haven't seen a-anyone else until this morning… W-Why do you ask…?" She responded shyly, she didn't seem to be lying…

"Well, it's just that I found it weird that you didn't react when I told how I got into here…" I began.

"Um, Blank? What are you trying to do?" I heard Kazuichi's voice ask confused right before Imposter put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let him be, I want to see where this goes" He whispered. Oh, that's right, he has noticed that I was using my psychologist talent, he has already seen it when I talked with the real Ryouta. He must have sensed that I'm onto something.

"W-What do you mean…?" Mikan asked meeker than before. She sounded like a child that was about to be scolded. I personally didn't know how to approach her, I couldn't tell if she really didn't remember or if she was just putting up an act…

For now, I decided to state the facts and see how she reacts "Don't you remember? I found you in the woods while I was alone and you told me that there was something important you needed me to see"

"I… I-I did…?" She answered with an expression full of surprise, she really didn't remember what she did… _If this is the case, I'll make her remember…_

"You sure did. You were also the one who pushed me down here! Don't you remember?" I spoke softly to help her concentrate.

"I-I pushed you…?" She said in disbelief as she looked at her shaking palms, just as if she was holding some awful "It's true… I pushed you… How could I… How could do such a terrible thing…?" She sobbed as she brought her hands to her head and clutched it tightly.

"Oh this is great!" Hiyoko suddenly burst in rage "Now this pig wants us all dead!"

I silenced her by raising an arm. Right now I'm finding weak spots on the locks of her mind, if I press a little further she will consciously realize the condition she is in… and the brainwashed Mikan will surface… Any interruptions will block her mind and if that happens I will not be able to help her anymore…

"Tsumiki-san… Could I ask why did you do that…?" I asked as soft as possible to prevent her from stressing more than she is. The others were looking at us, thrilled to finally know what this is all about.

"I… don't know… I-I just don't know why I pushed you…! Why did I push you…?!" She asked frantically to no one in particular, as if she was asking the question to someone else… _It's horrifying how this is slowly becoming an exorcism…_

"It's okay, I can forgive you…" I answered to calm her down a bit, which seemed to work "Let's move on to any other thing that you remember, okay?"

She slowly nodded "After returning to class, you all decided to return down here to safe Yukizome-sensei, is this correct?" She nodded again "Alright, at some point, do you remember talking with Nanami-san?"

"Umm…" She seemed to struggle with the question "N-No, I-I don't think so…"

"She was with you the entire time, right?"

"Y-Yeah! We all went together down the stairs u-under Izuru Kamukura statue… And then… Uh…?" Both of her eyes widened in surprise, just as she has just realized something.

"What is it, Tsumiki-san?"

"And then… She wasn't there anymore… W-Why…? She came down here with us… w-why would she disappear all of a sudden…?!" She again clutched her head tightly while she tried hard to remember the events.

"Maybe someone made her stay behind…? Maybe someone led her somewhere else…?" I asked to prompt her to remember. It was obvious she did it, but unless she is the one who realizes it we will not progress.

"That's right… T-That's right… I pushed her too… Why…? Why am I doing such things…?" She said as she began to tear up. The others were beginning to look at each other. They were most likely dumbfounded from what they were hearing… They were finding out that one of their classmates had sold them out… I'll need to make sure that she was just being controlled.

"Tsumiki-san…" I spoke again… Mikan looked up to me with confused and tearful eyes… She was practically begging me to tell her what was wrong… It was painful to see her like this… but I needed to go forward… "You have seen the video in which Nanami-san is being tortured by Enoshima-san just like the rest did, correct?"

"Uh hu…" She nodded in a whimper… _Okay… Brace yourself, Néstor, this will get heated in a second…_ I mentally sighed before looking at her sternly… and asking the question that would get me to the 'Mikan' I'm looking for…

"What did you **feel** when you saw her like that…?"

Everyone in the room looked at me in terror, unaware of the implications behind my question… not that they wanted to find out… "What… I felt…?" Mikan asked bewildered as her eyes got distant… Suddenly, I could noticed that something had turned into her brain… because when she looked back up, her eyes where a whirling mess of ecstasy, there was saliva dripping down from her mouth and she was laughing like a maniac… The others were just paralyzed before the scene, even I was taken aback by such a sudden flip of personality… _Ah, here she is… The side of her I was looking for… The side of her that needs to be eliminated immediately…_

"I felt incredible…!" She admitted in pure bliss. "It was so exciting to look at Nanami-san together…! Our hearts were becoming one…!"

"W-What's going on?!" Akane asked petrified by Mikan's display.

"What has happened to Tsumiki-san…? She seems like a complete different person…" Sonia said in disbelief.

"She's been brainwashed" I explained as the rest looked at me in shock "She has been down here with Enoshima-san all this time she was missing. She must have brainwashed Tsumiki-san then"

"Does this mean… that perhaps Mitarai-san could have been brainwashed too?" Imposter asked worried.

I pondered that thought as I scratched my chin. _It sounds possible, the existence of both videos prove it… If this is the case, we'll need to look for him too… But one step at a time, right now we have to deal with Mikan._

"B-But what are we going to do with h-her…? We cannot bring her back like this!" Mahiru exclaimed.

"I'm onto that. I'll be done in a minute" I said reassuringly while I turned my attention back at the nurse, who still seemed lost in her dream world. "Tsumiki-san, are you trying to tell me that you enjoyed seeing Nanami-san suffer like that with the rest?"

"Yes…!" She was still drooling, looking at nothing specific while she was fantasizing with who-knows-what. "It was absolutely beautiful…! A dirty sow like me could share such a wonderful moment with my friends…!"

"Why did you like it…?"

Mikan's expression changed in a second as she looked at me with utter confusion, she was certainly not expecting me to ask this. Her demeanor came back to insanity in a second "Well… don't you see…?! It shows how much despair you can feel after seeing someone else suffer…!"

"But if that happens, Nanami-san would die… Is that what you really want, Tsumiki-san…?"

Her face dropped slowly as the whirls on her eyes cleared… Suddenly, she wasn't entirely sure about what she was saying "W-Well… Y-Yes, of course…! B-Because that's what despair is all about and-!"

"But Nanami-san is our friend" At this final sentence, Mikan's excitement finally died out… Just as I thought, she was beginning to listen and see the consequences behind what she was saying. "Does this mean that you don't appreciate our friend…?"

"N-No! O-Of course I like Nanami-san…! It's just… it's just that…"

"Mikan…" She turned in shock after hearing her name. I knew perfectly that she would react if I said it that way. If I appeal to the image Mikan has of Chiaki and combine it with the excitement of hearing her name from someone she really appreciates, it would make a great emotional impact. Her brain conditioning was already weakened by now, but with this final touch, it will surely break down "Mikan… Please, tell me… Why would you find so pleasurable… seeing someone you love so much… die…?"

Her eyes fully cleared while tears were now quickly flowing down her cheeks "It wasn't me…" She said horrified. "It wasn't me…! That w-woman…! She m-made me to…!" I'm sure that she's now remembering everything that happened today… She was shivering so badly… "I-I pushed her… I pushed Nanami-san… to her d-death…! H-How can I be such a ho-horrible monster…?!" She was hugging herself as she cried inconsolably…

She then looked up at me with her watery eyes… They had 'remorse' and 'self-disappointment' written all over… and I smiled, seeing that the Mikan I knew and cared about was back… "I-I'm sorry… Blank-kun… I-I'm so terribly sorry…" She said between hiccups "I-I have done a terrible th-thing… I d-don't deserve your friendship… I don't deserve… to be alive…"

I hugged her. I hugged her as tightly as I could while I caressed her hair and hummed to soothe her "Don't say that… That wasn't you, they were forcing you to do what you have done. You cannot entirely blame yourself for that… So please, don't say that you don't deserve my friendship or to live ever again… Because I **forgive** you…"

Mikan couldn't hold up her emotions anymore. She returned the hug as tightest as she could while she cried on my shoulder. I looked at the others to see how they were doing, and smiled at their looks of pity. They seemed to understand what Mikan has been put through and forgave her too… That was perfect, if they were to begin to label her as a traitor… I'm sure she would not stand it…

"Alright… I think it's time we go back…" I said in a calming tone, earning a nod from everyone else in the room.

"Nice display there" A familiar voice said from the door. I turned around to see that Hajime was also successful in his part of the mission, he was carrying an unconscious Chiaki on his arms. She was awfully injured, but her chest rose ever so slightly every once in a while, letting me now that at least she was still breathing. There were messy patches all over her body that didn't seem very effective or clean, but looked like they were stopping her bleeding just fine.

"Nanami-san!" We all exclaimed worried but relief that she was… 'fine'.

"She will live, but we need to change up her bandages soon to prevent the injuries from infection" Hajime explained, too embarrassed to admit that he was the author of the patches.

I looked at Mikan with confidence "You can take care of it as the Ultimate Nurse. It will be your way to repay her" She nodded in agreement, ready to amend for her acts.

"So you are the Ultimate Hope… Izuru Kamukura…" Nagito said as he looked in admiration ay Hajime.

"Umm… Y-Yes, I am… But I'd rather you refer to me as 'Hajime Hinata' if you don't mind… I'll explain once we get back to the academy"

"But what about Enoshima-san?!" Hiyoko screamed worried.

"It's fine. Authorities must be already in school so she will not go far. We can rest now" I said, now completely confident that this was the end… The nightmare has ended… and we've won the war to Despair… I protected those who I love the most… I protected the simple life I always valued… There were no words that could describe the happiness I was feeling…

"Well, it's time we get back. I bet Yukizome-san will be delighted once she sees you're all fine…" Hajime said comforting, making me smile as I remembered Chisa's motherly nature.

"Yeah… I'm sure she is…" I replied with a nod.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Woohoo! Happy ending, folks! Take that, Despair Diva!**

 **I actually loved writing this one up! As a finale it wraps up that feeling I was trying to convey with this entire story. I wanted to correct the bitter taste that the despairful ending of DR 3 Zetsubou-hen left on my tongue, and I've just done that. I'm incredibly proud of this little piece, and I can finally look at these characters without feeling like shit.**

 **I know this was mostly to indulge myself with a sweeter ending, but I hope this story could help all of you to repair your lil' broken heart too!**

 **Now I'll probably write a shorter epilogue after this, and I'll leave a note for you all in case you are interested that I write further. Then I can finally put this story to rest.**

 **Leave a review if you enjoyed this story and see you around.**


	15. Epilogue

" **Text with apostrophes is being talked"**

 _ **Text in italics is being thought.**_

* * *

 _ **Epilogue**_

I was watching intently at the city that could be seen through the window of the high building, bathed by the light of the sun. I should be paying attention, but right now I was busy gathering my thoughts and thinking deeply on what has happened a few weeks ago…

That day, when I confronted the Ultimate Despair Junko Enoshima, when I worked together with Hajime to save Class 77… Right after we arrived at the academy, Chisa wasted no time on going after us and check if we were all alright. Mikan was quick to treat Chiaki with her injuries with the assistance of the nurses of the academy. I've also found out that day that Ryouta indeed had escaped before we even attempted to rescue Chisa, and it seems that he wasn't brainwashed to begin with. It seems that he called the police first so that explained how they arrived and acted so quickly. Those were good news after that headache of a day.

Just as Chisa had told me, Kyosuke Munakata was present too, who assisted the authorities when they went underground to find the sisters. From what I've heard, Mukuro was still unconscious when they found her, which meant that they could apprehend Junko just as easy now that she didn't have her sister's protection. It seems that they would have gone to prison firstly, but even the authorities believed that those two needed severe treatment. Instead, they sent them to a mental hospital to try to rehabilitate them… or contain them at least.

The next days on the academy were an absolute chaos. Kyosuke had to pull several strings which, given his position as the Ultimate Student Council President, wasn't really hard for him. He did a throughout research on each and one of the trustees of the academy and people who were on the highest positions overall. He pursued the most corrupted people on the academy and made sure they paid for it and that they would never work on the academy ever again. These people of course, were the responsible of the dreadful 'Kamukura Project', a scandal that had already reached the public ears… Kyosuke had to move heaven and earth to appease the people, explaining that they were not aware that the trustees were working on something so despicable and they have already 'eliminated' the human experiment, claiming that he would work hard to make sure this never happens ever again.

But that wasn't enough. Sure, the media seemed satisfied with the great article they would be exploiting for the rest of the week and the 'Kamukura Project' has been buried down for good. But there was still an angered mob of students at the entrance of the academy, claiming a payback and that they deserved to be on the Main Course too. As such, Kyosuke had to look into the funding of the academy and rearrange it so the money of the reserve students actually go to the Reserve Course and not to a human experiment.

The school also needed the most capable school advisors to talk with the reserve students and make them come to their senses. Even Kyosuke asked me to help too, claiming that Chisa herself recommended me for the task… but I think she gives me too much credit… Luckily, the effect of the video has subsided after days so it wasn't too difficult to make them see the truth of the situation.

That mostly wraps up what has happened since The Day. After all of that chaos, the academy just went on as always, assisting classes and practicing with our talents. We just basically went back to our daily routine… well, mostly… There were a couple of changes in our classroom, or rather two new students. Firstly, Ryouta has gathered enough confidence to actually assist classes without relying on Imposter. After that day when he almost lost everyone he kind of cared about, he decided that he had enough on staying behind and cowering away to create his anime and save the world. It's not that he left his anime behind, he's still devoutly working on it, but he also thinks that he needs to actually see and interact with us in order to get over his own insecurities. He's been doing fine so far, though he still comes to Imposter, Mikan or me for guidance. As for Imposter… He decided to stay with us as Ryouta's "twin brother"… or something like that… I mean, everyone knew who he was in actuality but he didn't quite enjoy showing up his true face, so he decided to keep his disguise as Ryouta.

The other student who joined the crew… was none other than Hajime Hinata himself… Chisa felt like she owed to him after everything he has done to help us that day, so against his complains, she signed him up for Class 77 too. Everyone greeted him just fine even though he was highly embarrassed to meet up with everyone for the first time after the incident, but I knew that deep down he was actually excited and happy to finally be on the Main Course. But something tells me that he's more… delight of the fact that he can finally see Chiaki everyday and be treated as an equal… It's not like that was important to begin with, but now that he's practically an all-talent person, I think the least he can do now is complain!

But I'm actually glad the guy is back, and I can surely tell by Chiaki's smile that she does too. After all we three can go back to play games together again! Heh… Not quite either… After I told Hajime what Chiaki felt for him, he looked ready to confess his feelings… Now they are dating, and it seems like they won't be breaking up anytime soon, if ever.

I turned my gaze to look at Hajime, now that he finally has cut his hair short and changed clothes. I couldn't help the proud smile that has been drawn on my lips… unaware of what was about to happen…

"Blank-kun?" A voice from across the class interrupted my thoughts abruptly "Are you slacking off in my class, young man?" Chisa's cute annoyed tone said in authority.

It's funny… Being in other circumstances a brief apology would have been enough, but now that Chisa was the one scolding me… I felt quite embarrassed… "U-Uh…! N-No, I just…! Um…!"

"I will have to talk to you in private once we are done today!" She scolded with a grin that made the class laugh a little.

"Dude, you sure zoned out for a bit just now!" Kazuichi commented between the laughs.

"S-Shut up!" I just wished earth decided to swallow me at that precise moment…

The rest of the class went fairly smooth until the bell went off. Chisa dismissed us right after, sparing us from homework today, as the others began to pack their things to go home.

In the brink of the eye I saw Hajime and Chiaki walking to my desk while the others were already exiting. "Hey, Blank-san. Nanami and I will be going to the arcade today. Would you like to come too?" Hajime asked as Chiaki looked with expectant enthusiasm.

"Oh, I would like to, but I can't. I have a therapy session today too…" I said as I grumbled in annoyance.

The two widened their eyes as they realized what I was talking about… You see, remember when I said that the Despair Sisters were admitted in a mental hospital? Well, doctors had meant to carry out several therapies and psychiatric treatments to rehabilitate them but… few of them were really willing to speak with the sisters after they heard about what they have accomplished, especially Junko. As such, Kyosuke himself told me to perform said therapies, claiming that both of my talents will keep me safe at all times.

It's not like I disagree with him, but I'm not exactly fond with the idea of seeing the sisters again… and on a regular basis on top of that…

"Right… Well, we can always leave it to any other day…" Chiaki suggested in order to prevent myself from feeling left alone.

"No, it's okay!" I responded cheerfully to reassure her. "Besides, I think you two would enjoy some quality time alone…" I teased with a wink, earning a deep blush from both lovebirds.

"R-Right, well… See you tomorrow!" Hajime finally said to change the topic. They both went ahead while I stood behind waving my hand at them.

"They sure make a great couple, don't they?" I heard Chisa's voice beside me. I turned my gaze at her and found her looking at the two proudly.

"Yeah, they sure do" I answered just as proud.

"Well, we'll need to catch up fast, don't you think?" She said cheerfully while she nudged and wrapped her arm around mines… making me blush really badly…

As you might have expected… after the incident Chisa and I had a little conversation to sort out what have happened down there when I found her. It turns out that she was decided to go on a relationship with me… much to my embarrassment… I-I mean, it's not like I regret kissing her back when or the fact that we are now dating… I was extremely happy in fact… but I just know that if the others were to find out they will surely nag me all day long. So I reluctantly asked her to keep this relationship in secret, at least for now. She seemed… too excited when she agreed on the condition, saying stuff as this was like a forbidden love between two souls that weren't destined to be together but refused to leave their beloved's side… It sounds too poetic to me but sure, let's go with that.

"So… what do I need to do, Yukizome?" I asked humbly, waiting for my punishment from distracting in class.

Chisa pouted in annoyance. "What did I told you Néstor?"

Oh… right, I forgot… Our agreement also entailed that we were to refer to each other's names when we were in private. It was just as embarrassing, but the genuine smile on her face each time she hears her name coming from my lips… It was totally worth the trouble "Sorry Chisa…"

"Much better…" She said with extreme glee. "Now, what do you mean?"

"Um… Didn't you just tell me to speak with you after class?" I asked in confusion, thinking that she might have forgotten… This was oddly familiar now that I think about it…

She started to laugh "Silly, that was just an excuse to have a chance to speak! Haven't you learnt yet?"

Now I remember why this was very familiar, she just pulled off the same trick she did back when we were both at the reserve course. It makes sense, if we are to act as a couple when we are in private only she has to take every chance to talk to me in private… That was so sweet from her…

I held her close as I encased her between my arms. She hugged back and hummed happily on my ear. We looked at each other passionately before slowly sharing a long kiss. I didn't realize it the first time I kissed her due to the urgency of the situation… but her lips were so soft and sweet… I could practically melt under her touch and lock myself in this position… But sadly, the moment had to end, even though we both refused to let the other go. We looked at each other for a couple of seconds, leaning on each other's forehead and nuzzling our noses.

She whispered softly… "Remember that tonight we'll be having that dinner you proposed…" She took up my proposal of the entire class having a dinner together, and I could clearly see that spark of excitement on her eyes when she said that… Tonight will be a hell of a party! "Don't be late…"

I whispered back just as softly. "Same to you…"

 _THE END_

* * *

 **It's done… Now I can fully rest and look at Danganronpa with good eyes again…**

 **This one was quite shorter from the previous ones, but there was not much else to say, it was simply to wrap up everything. After all, every cake needs its cherry on the top… A very sloppy cake in my opinion… but I would eat it nonetheless. And I hope you enjoyed my "cake" too.**

 **Now what I've been thinking about is leave this story as it is now and begin another one where I'll write a series of one-shots in which Blank would interact with a character in specific. I'll need you to request a character you want Blank to interact with and I'll look up to it. EVERY character is valid, from Danganronpa 1,2,3 or even Another Episode, as long as it's not from the mangas or V3 since I didn't have time to check them out yet. An anon already requested me to write about the Warriors of Hope, which is in fact a really interesting offer.**

 **However, I'm not promising that I'll be doing it in the end, since real life stuff makes sure I always have something to take care off.**

 **It has been a pleasure to come back, even if it was momentarily, to write this little piece up. I don't know when I'll write further, but maybe I'll dare myself to write something between what I actually need to do in the future, who knows.**

 **Anyways, I hope you had a nice read and I wish you a good day, dear reader. See you next time.**


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